Ne'er do Well
by Quinn Anderson
Summary: Yami heads into a veritable cesspool of sin and debauchery, and Kaiba blames the rap music. Prideshipping. Now with a bonus epilogue and a surprise twist.
1. Chapter 1

**Important Author's Note: **Alright, guys, I allegedly retired from fan fiction writing, but I've gotten bored over the summer and started rewatching Yu-gi-oh from the beginning. I haven't seen it since I was around eleven years old, and I'd forgotten how perfect this show is for fan fiction. I have a few very important notes for you before I begin this: I only ever made it to about the beginning of season 4 of this show-no further-so there are plenty of little plot twists and things that I'm unaware of (for example, I saw a fic the other day that mentioned Yami/Atem had his own body. I have no idea about any of that, but I'm going to go ahead and adopt it for plot purposes). As a result, this fic is going to be kind of AU, but not really. It basically assumes that Yugi won Battle City, everything went back to normal, and sometime in there (which shall be revealed) Yami got his own body. Also, I'm probably going to end up using everyone's American names because that's what I'm used to. If you're one of those stuck up fans who thinks writers have to use only original content from the story in their fics, do me a huge favor and go fuck yourself. I say that with love, trust me. I have exactly zero patience for crazed fan girls who want to screech at me in garbled engrish. It's really just not that serious, and I am not about to get in a pissing contest over who knows more random Yu-gi-oh trivia. We're all fans here, and we should be able to respect the work that goes in to writing these fics so that everyone else can enjoy them. Also, I'm a huge fan of YGO: The Abridged Series and will undoubtedly quote it all over the place.

Anyways, I have absolutely no idea where I'm going with this, but if any of my old fans are still out there and reading this, you know that's pretty much how I always operate. We shall see what comes of it. This fic is going to be HARDCORE yaoi, with a metric fuck ton of swearing, sex, booze, debauchery, and prideshipping. The characters are going to be doing stupid, reckless things like smoking, doing drugs, and having unprotected, premarital sex, because in make-believe fan fiction world, it will only hurt them if I write that it hurts them. In the name of good writing and good fun, I include these things in my fics, but naturally I am not trying to suggest to any young, impressionable minds that anything you see here is a good thing to emulate. If you don't like it, you may join the people I mentioned above and also go fuck yourself. Maybe you can all get together and make an event of it or form a support group.

Happy reading, everyone, and please review. Reviews determine how graphic all of my sex scenes will be, how long the fic itself is, and how often I update.

**ONE FINAL REALLY IMPORTANT NOTE: **This fic contains **time**** shifts** that will gradually reveal the plot. This is taking place AFTER BATTLE CITY and the debacle in Noah's virtual world.

I'm not going to be putting a disclaimer on any of my chapters because I don't think those actually serve a purpose. Does anyone here honestly believe I created Yu-gi-oh? Are you really going to report me to the cyber police for not clearly stating that what is obviously not mine is indeed not mine? How did disclaimers even get started around here?

I am, however, dedicating this fic to my three partners in crime: **Dyan, Teal, and Gunslinger**. You guys rock my fucking world.

...

...

Wax dripped down the sides of three long candles strategically placed around the room to brighten the darkest corners. The fire illuminated but did nothing to lighten the mood. Moonlight splashed through holes in the wood walls, and smoke hung heavy in the air. The bar-few of the people who stumbled in bothered to learn its name-was murky, dirty, and oppressively rickety. It was designed to shield the identities of its patrons, to conceal envelopes passed from one hand to the next, and to deaden the sound of murmured orders.

Yami did his best not to glance around the room every few seconds. It was fairly large: much longer than it was wide and with a single doorway. The actual bar was placed in the center with stools surrounding it, and a smattering of armchairs covered in threadbare fabric were tucked against the walls. Yami felt cold stares piercing him from the dark figures sitting in the chairs, or maybe he was just paranoid.

The youth's entire body felt like one giant pile of ash. He looked blearily at the cigarette resting between his fingers, silently cursing it. His throat burned from the excessive amount of alcohol he'd gulped down, and the smoking certainly wasn't helping. Had he spoken to anyone in the shithole of a bar, his voice probably would've sounded like he'd had a pack-a-day habit for twenty years. Yami couldn't really recall when he had picked up smoking. It had happened gradually, undoubtedly a result of the fact that he'd begun frequenting bars with ever-increasing fervor. One day he'd politely declined the dark faces that offered him cancer sticks; the next day he was easily working himself through two packs to every bottle of cheap whiskey he slugged down his throat. Oh how the times had changed.

He had another shot in front of him; it was challenging him. The King of Game's stomach told him no, but his head was still clear enough to recognize that he'd had more than enough to drink. That clarity was a problem. He plucked the shot off the polished counter and downed it without so much as a hiccup.

He needed to lose control. He needed to forget.

The bartender hadn't bothered to card him. One look at the grim set of his otherwise youthful face and the plentiful cash he'd slapped down on the bar, and he'd kept the shots coming. Yami couldn't even say what he was drinking. It smelled like poison and tasted even worse.

It was perfect.

Yami took a final drag on his umpteenth cigarette before crushing it in an overflowing ashtray. The room was moving, but it needed to be spinning. His brain was fuzzy, but it needed to be silent. He couldn't allow himself to dwell on the past, to dwell on the mistakes that had led him to where he was now. He'd been cocky. He'd been stupid. He'd done his time in purgatory, and now he just wanted to _fucking forget._

Yugi and his friends had understood. Somehow, without any words exchanged, they had stopped calling. They had stopped inviting him out with them, stopped including him in their jokes and laughter, and stopped looking at him with confusion when he drifted off into silent contemplation mid-sentence. It seemed they all eventually caught on: something had happened to Yami between the time they entered the Battle City Tournament and the time they escaped from Noah's virtual world. Something had caused Yami's already somber face to fall even further. The commanding gleam in his eyes had turned into one of uncertainty. They knew the pharaoh would come to them when he was ready to talk, and in the meantime they were kind enough to give him some space.

Yami needed a chance to get his head on straight. He had to figure out exactly what it was he was fighting for. More importantly, he had to figure out what he was _living_ for.

A shadow fell over Yami's pale face, but he didn't bother to look up. He could feel the heat from the body standing near him, hovering more like it. Even after chasing rum with vodka, his senses were honed enough to tell him that the body wasn't getting a drink. It was observing him.

"I've been searching for you, Yami."

The Egyptian youth recognized the rumbling voice instantly. A scent drifted to his nose: expensive cologne and even more expensive scotch. There was a hint of something else, and it had taken Yami months to identify it: cinnamon. The smell of cinnamon was so fitting for the individual that bore it: spicy and raw and earthy. Finally, he drew his purple-red eyes up and tried to focus on the speaker's face. It was a young man: soft brown hair, electric blue eyes, high cheek bones, full lips, and a constant look of mild annoyance chiseled into his streamlined features. The bar's dim light faded the details but could not hide the smooth lines and dramatic coloring that comprised this imposing youth. His lithe body was encased in stunning black Versace dress wear with a matching tie knotted casually around his neck as if five hundred dollars worth of silk meant nothing to him. Naturally, he'd thrown one of his signature long coats over his shoulders, this one a blue so dark it shamed the midnight sky. As if to simulate stars, safety pins and studs punctuated the collar, sleeves, and high lapels. It was clear the coat had been custom tailored to hug Kaiba's form. It fit him like a dream: accentuating his broad shoulders and marble chest that melted down into a flat stomach and narrow hips.

"Seto Kaiba," Yami growled. His voice sounded threatening, but there was no real venom behind the words. He was battling all the damage he'd done to his throat this month. It was truly a small miracle that he hadn't lost his voice already. "You've got the wrong man, sweetheart." Yami prided himself on managing not to slur his words. "Yami isn't here anymore."

"Spare me the dramatics, Yami. Drunken slob or not, there's no mistaking that ridiculous hair of yours." Out of the corner of his eye, Yami saw Kaiba cross his arms: an obvious sign of irritation. It amused the pharaoh that his old rival could never manage to contain his emotions around him. To everyone else, he was like gazing at the calm surface of a lake: he reflected their own anxiety back at them and used it as a weapon. It was one of the many ways in which he dominated his opponents in both business and Duel Monsters.

It just so happened that Yami had spent a lot of time figuring out how to gaze beneath that tranquil surface to the raging currents beneath. Kaiba stood tall and proud, a vision of self-discipline and insurmountable confidence. Little did the brunet know, Yami was the one who was really in control of this conversation.

He glanced at the bar. Another shot glass had appeared in front of him as if by magic, filled to the brim with dark liquid. He'd have to leave the bartender a generous tip. He was an absolute saint.

"Why are you wasting your time in this run-down dump?" Kaiba's voice positively hummed with superiority.

Yami hesitated with his hand halfway extended to grab the glass. It hung there for a moment, his long fingers twitching restlessly. Their color was dull ivory in the murky light. Dead. They looked dead. Slender and white like a skeleton. He clenched his fist to rid himself of the unwanted vision.

Yami kept his iridescent eyes glued to a spot on the far wall as he grabbed the glass and tossed its contents down his throat. He said nothing in response to Kaiba's question. Silence hung heavily between them. He wondered if all the darkened faces in the bar were watching the exchange.

"I asked your little friends about you," Kaiba continued, his voice flat but clear. "They were reluctant at first to give me the information I sought, but we both know how good I am at getting what I want." Yami was looking anywhere but at the slender man next to him, half-hoping if he just pretended the brunet wasn't there, it would come true and he could sink back down into his silent misery. "They said you've been virtually MIA lately. You sleep all day while the others are in school, drink all night, and you haven't touched a dueling disk in weeks."

"Great story, doll face, but do you have a point?"

Kaiba growled under his breath. If there was one thing the CEO hated, it was being interrupted. "I'm getting to that, _snookums._"

Yami flinched. "Snookums" was the closest thing to an inside joke that the two rivals had, and it wasn't a happy one. Back in the good old days of furious rivalry, Yami had taken to calling Kaiba an assortment of ridiculous pet names simply because it infuriated him. The behavior was inspired by the brunet's penchant for calling Jounouchi a mutt. Kaiba, however, had happened upon the absolute winner. When he really wanted Yami to shut the fuck up, that was when he pulled out the trump card of all ridiculous pet names: _snookums._

"My point is this: you're losing it, and it's pathetic to watch."

Yami threw his head back and laughed, the sound bitter and grating like screeching metal. "I don't know what 'it' is," he pivoted his torso so he could face Kaiba as he spoke, "but I probably never had it to begin with. If I did, I would have known better than to get involved with you."

Kaiba said nothing, merely stared at Yami with an intensity that couldn't be matched. Yami's smile was like broken glass. "Admit it, Kaiba. You don't even know why you're here. You don't know what's going through my head because you know more about my dueling deck than you know about me as a person. You got what you wanted from me during Battle City and then didn't know what to do with it. Story of your life, no?"

The Egyptian grabbed a cigarette from the pack in his right jacket pocket, placed it between his lips, and lit it with a silver zippo that he pulled from the same pocket. It ignited instantly, and he breathed in a lungful of sweet, sweet cancer.

"No need to worry about me, Kaiba. Really. I'm just peachy. Suffering from a bit of an existential crisis, granted, but other than that things are going swimmingly."

"I never figured you were the sarcastic type."

"There's a lot you don't know about me, babe. Yugi was the one with a hard on for friendship speeches. I was just along for the ride."

The spiky-haired man turned back toward the bar and took another drag on his cigarette. The smoke trailed loosely from between his thin lips to mingle with the rest. The air was pregnant with it, almost nauseatingly so.

Just as Yami was beginning to wonder if Kaiba had decided to leave, the brunet spoke again, "I'll admit you're right about a couple of things. I don't really know why I'm here, but you and I both know I'm probably the most stubborn son of a bitch that ever existed. That has more to do with it than anything else I'd say."

"Did _the _Seto Kaiba really just admit someone else is right? God, what is the world coming to?"

"Shut the fuck up and listen."

Yami chuckled again. "Good to know at least some things never change."

Kaiba ignored him and continued, "I may not know why I'm here, but I sure as hell know why you're here."

The pharaoh rolled his eyes. "Feel free to enlighten me."

It was Kaiba's turn to chuckle. "Feign as much indifference as you like. If there's anyone in the world whose opinion you'll take seriously, it's mine."

Yami didn't deny it.

Kaiba leaned in a little closer. "You're here because you're afraid. You have no idea what to do with yourself anymore. You've lost your drive, your direction, your justifications for living. I still don't know what I believe when it comes to all your hocus pocus bullshit about past lives and millennium items, but I know that you feel like this world isn't yours. You don't think you belong here. You don't think you have any right to be alive right now, and considering the sheer dumb luck you've exploited in the past, you probably don't."

Yami was sitting so motionlessly, he looked statuesque.

"You feel trapped in a world that you never should have known." Kaiba moved closer still, his sweet breath tickling Yami's cheek. "That's why you came here, to a seedy bar in an inconsequential part of town where you thought no one would bother to look for you. You're hiding behind booze and midnight skies because you're afraid of the thoughts in your own head."

"Fuck you," Yami whispered, his knuckles clenching the counter so hard they turned stark white. "You don't know anything about it."

"Oh, but I do. I've been where you are and back again more times than I can count. It's no picnic for anyone, and nobody came to offer me a helping hand when I was building an empire from the ground up. You should consider yourself lucky."

Yami's anger turned from burning hot to bitter cold so quickly he shivered. To say Kaiba had struck a nerve was putting it lightly. He'd struck bundles of them, and they were all singing with a pain he'd tried to drown in bottle after bottle.

"Is that really why you think you're here, Kaiba? To help me get back on my feet? To give me some kind of purpose now that all the card games have been played, the world is safe, and everyone but me has gone back to the normal lives they should have had all along? I never knew you were such a philanthropist at heart."

"I never knew you were such a moody bitch." Kaiba's icy eyes were pulsing with raw electricity. He was trying to get a reaction out of Yami, and he was succeeding. "What happened to the proud King of Games I used to respect?"

Yami finally couldn't take it anymore. He jumped to his feet and immediately felt a wave of vertigo that he only barely managed to conceal. Kaiba was a good half a head taller than him, something he'd always secretly hated. Those normally controlled blue eyes looked down at him with raging emotion swirling in their depths. Purple stared right back, every bit as tumultuous.

"I think we should take this outside, Kaiba."

The CEO looked mildly amused. "If you want to throw a punch at me, you're welcome to do it here. I won't even press charges against you, since you're clearly too drunk to be held accountable for your idiocy."

Yami ground his teeth but didn't rise to the bait. "Just come outside with me. I need some fresh air, and if I'm going to be insulted, it might as well be where I can breathe."

The brunet studied him for a long moment but eventually nodded, stepping aside so the Egyptian could get around him and head for the door. Yami flirted with the idea of making a run for it-anything to escape this failed attempt at an intervention-but considering how much effort it was just to put one foot in front of the other, he quickly decided against it.

Stepping outside was like stepping into an icy bath. The night air cleared Yami's head almost instantly. He scanned the line of dark cars parked outside and instantly spotted what he was looking for: something sleek, black, and too expensive to belong to any patron of this shitty local dive. He'd half expected Kaiba to have taken one of his corporate helicopters here, but apparently he'd found a new way to travel in style. The Egyptian walked straight towards the car, not bothering to check to see if Kaiba was following him.

He got to the car and immediately leaned his back against it, bringing his still-lit cigarette to his lips. Before he could take a drag, he felt a tug and his cigarette went flying.

"No smoking near my baby." Kaiba retracted his hand and moved to lean against his car next to Yami. "It's brand new, and if you get so much as a little ash on it, I'll slaughter you."

"Who needs parents with you around, sweetheart." Yami leaned his head back until it hit the roof of the car. The night sky was truly dazzling. There were more stars than he could count in a lifetime, stretching for miles upon lazy miles. "Despite what a nocturnal creature I've become, I forgot how beautiful the night can be."

"Write me some dreary poetry about it."

"Shut the fuck up."

The two teens lapsed into comfortable silence, their brilliant young minds racing with very similar thoughts. Yami almost started as he realized this was the first time he'd seen Kaiba since the end of Battle City. Somehow, it hadn't surprised him to suddenly have the CEO next to him again. They had parted on peculiar terms yet there was no real awkwardness between them. They both seemed content to simply exist for the moment and figure everything else out later.

Purple eyes shifted sideways to look at the other teen, and they were met with startling blue. Yami shifted his eyes down to consider Kaiba's impeccable form: clothed to perfection to accent every long limb and toned muscle. The spiky-haired man knew he was a mess in comparison: he was dressed in the same stained black sleeveless shirt and black skinny jeans that he'd been wearing for five days now. At least he'd bothered to shower that day.

A few more minutes worth of silence passed before Yami finally spoke. "Why did you really come here, Kaiba?"

"Don't think I'm going to give you a ride home just because you're hopelessly intoxicated. You did this to yourself, and if you puked in my car, I would really have to kill you."

"Nice try, but you can't distract me. Answer the question."

Kaiba pushed off from his gorgeous little sports car and faced the Egyptian. Yami righted himself but stayed against the car, fighting the dizziness that came over him the moment he moved. The tension between them was so thick it was nearly palpable. What startled Yami the most was how easily he slipped back into the same emotions he'd felt for Kaiba the last time they'd stood like this. A lot of misery and misfortune had transpired since then, but the electricity between them hadn't dissipated one iota.

Kaiba took a step forward, and the tension surged up so quickly it made Yami's gasp. They weren't even touching, and already he could feel fire burning in his belly.

"I see I haven't lost my touch," Kaiba murmured with a smirk, inching closer again. Wordlessly, he put his right foot between the other boy's and placed one hand against the car on either side of his shoulders. He'd created a living barrier of warm flesh to keep Yami trapped against his car. The purple-eyed teen fought against two separate urges: one was to shove Kaiba back as hard as he could and the other was to press himself against that silk-encased body. He knew either option could have dire consequences, and so he had to fight them both. Drunk or not, he had his wits about him enough to know that eventually one of these instincts would win. It was up to the brunet to determine which one it was.

"Admit it, Yami. You want to touch me."

"A punch is considered a touch, you know."

The taller youth smirked shamelessly. The one thing he enjoyed most about his rival was his ability to banter back. Kaiba didn't often encounter individuals with the mental tenacity to give him a challenge, but for every cold remark he threw Yami's way, the other boy had an even colder one ready and waiting.

The brunet leaned down slowly, inching his shoulders, chest, and head towards Yami until they were centimeters from him. The heat between their bodies was both literal and metaphorical. Though they would never admit it to each other, their hearts pounded together with a similar wild rhythm.

Now they would play their usual game of cat and mouse. Which of them would crack first? Who would reveal more of their true feelings this time? Who would have the last comeback to the last devastating comment?

Yami had to force himself to breathe deeply and quietly. He was at a serious disadvantage due to all the alcohol he'd consumed. His inhibitions had been striped away, and right now it was taking everything he had not to respond to the proximity of Kaiba's flawless body. Within the tremulous war raging in his brain, there was room for one hilarious thought: even when they weren't playing card games, they were still dueling.

"You still haven't answered me, sweetheart." Yami may not have had the best control over his own hormones, but he still understood how to play their game. He saw a familiar twinkle in Kaiba's eyes that plainly said the brunet was having as much trouble controlling himself as Yami was. Out of the corner of his eye, the pharaoh saw a slight tremor run through one of Kaiba's arms, confirming his suspicious. His mind's eye filled with an image of Kaiba forcing his body against Yami's in a fit of passion, and he knew the same image was playing again and again in the other man's mind.

Who was going to crack first?

Kaiba bit the inside of his lip, using the sharp pain to stir him from a number of vivid fantasies that were playing out in his head. It had been weeks since the last time he'd touched Yami, but he still remembered the other-worldly smoothness of that pale skin. He remembered the taste of the other man's salty sweat and the way his eyes gleamed when his every thought was drenched with desire. The memories alone were enough to make his head spin, but if there was one thing he was known for it was his self control.

"What do you want me to tell you?" Kaiba replied, his voice no more than a sultry murmur. With so little space between them, he didn't have to talk loudly to be heard, but he knew the low volume made the other teen instinctively want to lean closer. He watched as the impulse overcame the Egyptian and as he fought it off. God, he loved toying with this man, just as much as he loved being toyed with. "Do you want me to say that I came looking for you because I was worried? Do you want me to say I came here to save you? You're no damsel in distress, and I'm definitely not a knight."

"I don't care what your answer is. I just want the truth." Yami drew back a fraction of an inch, and Kaiba instantly understood that he'd made a mistake. He was trying to draw Yami into their old games, but he'd taken it a step too far. Strong-willed or not, the other teen was intoxicated and in a tumultuous emotional state. The two rivals had spent so much time fighting each other, they had learned each other's tells inside and out. No one could call Kaiba's bluff like Yami could, and the same was true in reverse.

Right now, the blue-eyed teen knew exactly what the other man was thinking, and he knew exactly how to fix it.

"Then I'll give you what you want." Before Yami could respond, Kaiba's soft lips were covering his, filling his stomach with a warmth that even alcohol couldn't match. The King of Games sunk into that kiss with desperate eagerness. He threw his arms around Kaiba's neck and yanked the other man closer. Their bodies fit together like puzzle pieces, pooling a startling amount of heat for two fully-clothed individuals. The CEO slipped his right leg fully between Yami's and pressed up until the other teen was forced to spread his knees. With that final move they sank fully into each other, a tangle of limbs, slick skin, and wrestling tongues.

"I came here because we have unfinished business," Kaiba purred between soul-searing kisses. Yami's hands slid down his chest, his long fingers paying attention to every ridge of muscle in a way that made the normally cold CEO want to swoon. God fucking dammit, Yami was the only person who had ever made him _react_ so violently. His brain felt like it was swathed in cotton as sensation after sensation shook him from head to toe. He'd missed this so fucking much. Every word from Yami's mouth, every touch from his fingers, every look those dark eyes shot him stirred emotion in him that he had tried for years to squash. This was why he'd spent so many tireless hours to try best Yami in the dueling ring. All along what he'd really been trying to best was his own undeniable weakness for the other man.

"And how do you propose we settle this unfinished business?" Yami cooed, leaning forward to lick a hot line down Kaiba's creamy neck. The brunet growled with pleasure as he felt teeth nibbling at his skin in a way that threatened to make him lose his last ounce of self control. That final ounce was all that kept him from throwing the other teen into the backseat and breaking his new car in, so to speak.

The question cleared his head a little, though. He raked his fingers through Yami's spiky hair until he had a good handful, and then he yanked. The Egyptian gasped from a mixture of pain and pleasure. Having his hair pulled was a special turn on of his, but he could tell the blue-eyed man meant business with the gesture.

"Having second thoughts?" Yami taunted, his lips twitching up into a smirk.

"Don't play coy; it's unbecoming." Kaiba took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. It was hard to see Yami's flushed cheeks and kiss-reddened lips and keep his mind focused. "You and I have a nasty habit of letting sex distract us from dealing with our real problems."

"Funny, considering we've never actually fucked."

Kaiba frowned slightly at the crude language. He was no prude, but even he preferred terms other than "fucked" to describe the act. "Don't remind me, if you'd be so kind." He shifted a little and felt his rock-hard arousal strain against his pants. "I'm perfectly aware of what a tease you've been since Battle City."

"In all fairness, darling, my teasing started the day I met you. We just didn't figure it out right away."

Kaiba grit his teeth. "Stop trying to divert my attention, _snookums._"

Yami obligingly grew somber, and for once a hint of his old self shone through in his eyes: serious and confident. "Very well. What exactly do you want from me?"

"I want you to get your goddamn act together. I want you to stop moping and turn back into the man I was once proud to call my greatest opponent."

Silver fangs snapped in Yami's eyes with so much ferocity, Kaiba nearly fell back a step. He'd touched yet another nerve, and he needed to soothe it fast or he had no doubt the other teen would shove him aside and march right back into the bar.

"I want you to come home with me tonight."

Yami raised an amused eyebrow, and his face split into a sly grin.

Kaiba smirked. "Don't get your hopes up. My intentions are purer than you think. None of your friends have any idea where you've been sleeping since you started your habitual binge drinking, but from the looks of your clothes, I'm guessing it isn't anywhere particularly sanitary."

Yami frowned at the suggestion that he was anything but perfectly hygienic, however deserved it might be. "I made friends with one of the bartenders here, and he's been letting me crash on his couch."

Kaiba was surprised to feel a twinge of jealousy at the idea of the smaller teen spending his nights on another man's couch, but he quickly shoved the feeling aside. "Do me a favor and tell him you won't be needing his services any longer. There are fifty-two spare bedrooms in my mansion, and surely you'll like one of them more than that couch."

"You're being controlling again, sweetheart."

"It's about time someone put you in your place."

Yami had to bite his lip to keep from reacting to the obvious stab at his pride. Considering how he'd been acting lately, he probably deserved it. A few bad decisions had led him down an incredible slippery slope, and Kaiba was simply trying to wake him up.

"Fine. I'm leaving first thing in the morning, though."

"It's cute how you assume you'll be able to walk when I'm through with you."

Yami couldn't hold back a shiver, and Kaiba smirked. "Get in the car."

"I'll suck your dick on the way there if you let me smoke in your car."

"You have got to be the cheapest whore I've ever encountered."

"You haven't been looking in the right places."

...

...

**AN:** That's it for now. Hope that didn't seem like it was too all over the place. I'm going for a gradual reveal, which is something I don't often do in fics, but I think you guys will like the result.

Remember, the more you review, the more willing I'll be to put effort into this. Even if you just click the little review button and type "nice fic" or "hate it" or "woo-hoo!" I'll appreciate it. Love you guys, and may your lives be filled with well-written yaoi!

My friends that I mentioned in the first author note created a drinking game for Yu-Gi-Oh! The Pyramid of Light (the movie), and I thought it'd be fun if with every chapter, I give you guys one of our rules:

**Rule Number One:** Take a shot every time a character says something vaguely homosexual. This is also known as the Every Time Pegasus Speaks rule. :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:** And we're back! With any luck, I'll be able to complete this fic before the end of the summer (at the very least, that's my goal). Thanks to everyone who reviewed my first chapter, especially **Shadow Vampiress**, an old fan/friend that I was absolutely delighted to discover is still out there. I adore you! I offer a huge thanks to the rest of you as well. Reading each of your reviews was a great pleasure, and it's because of you that this next chapter has come out so quickly. I can't thank you enough for your support. ;)

This chapter marks the first **flashback** we'll be going into. All flashbacks will be marked according to when they're occurring, so as long as you read the bolded time stamp, you should be fine. If you have any questions about the timeline, feel free to ask me, and I'll answer right away. Also, I'm going to demonstrate my weak understanding of Duel Monsters in this chapter, ha ha. Once again, I'm using English names for cards because I'm lazy. If this somehow offends you, you know what to do (pro tip: see my first author's note).

As always, this fic is dedicated to **Dyan, Teal, and Gunslinger**. If it weren't for you guys, I never would have gotten back in touch with my inner nerd. I feel like myself again, and it's all thanks to you.

…

…

**Battle City Tournament Finals: End of Day One**

"You need your rest, Yugi. Tomorrow's duels are going to be the most difficult yet, and we must both be at the top of our game if we're going to defeat Marik."

Yugi smiled weakly in response to Yami's words but said nothing back. He was sifting through his dueling deck for easily the fiftieth time, rearranging the cards into different combinations as a hundred strategies played out in his head. It was undoubtedly past midnight already, but Yugi barely felt tired at all. He was running on pure adrenaline after everything that had happened that day. Three people - two of which were close friends - were unconscious, and Marik was only getting stronger. The responsibility of defeating him was the heaviest burden Yugi had been forced to bear yet, and he knew he owed every ounce of sanity he had to the spirit that inhabited his millennium puzzle. His support and their flawless teamwork was key to achieving their goal.

The young boy glanced up from his cards and gazed blearily around the room he'd been assigned on Kaiba's blimp. It was lavishly furnished but lacked the warmth of a personal touch, like an expensive hotel room. Everything was sleek and modern to the point where it felt almost uncomfortable; even the air tasted sterilized. He was seated at a round metal table in the center of the floor with a few dozen cards spread out in front of him. He was debating adding some new magic cards to his deck, since every opponent in the finals probably knew his old deck as well as he did. Having a few surprise tricks up his sleeve couldn't hurt. In the end, however, he knew he would stick with the cards that had gotten him this far. A flicker of movement caught Yugi's eye: the spirit's hazy form was getting up from his seat on their bed to walk closer. A frown marred his otherwise handsome face.

"I mean it, little one. I know you want to prepare for your duels tomorrow, but your mind must be fresh if it is to overcome the peril we will face."

"I know." Yugi placed his deck down and rubbed his temples gingerly. If he let himself stress out any more, it was going to make him sick. "I'm just… worried."

"I know you are." The spirit smiled confidently. "You must believe that we will prevail. Our teamwork has never failed us before, and it never will."

"You're right." Yugi smiled back, though he was certain he didn't look anywhere near as confident as Yami. "I'll head to bed, and in the morning we'll defeat Marik together."

**Several Hours Later**

Yami paced restlessly within the convoluted chamber that represented his mind. Even little Yugi was unaware of the fact that the pharaoh never slept. Spirits didn't need sleep. Resting alone in the dark and quiet for a few hours was all it took for his energy to recharge. Handy as this usually was, it left him with an uncomfortable amount of time for thought, which in turn allowed him to dwell on how little he had to dwell on. He had no memories and therefore no past. Without a past, it was hard to truly understand who he was. Any other creature could look back on their decisions, failures, triumphs, and mistakes and learn from them, but not Yami. Instead, he spent long hours wandering through mysterious corridors and crumbling doorways that ultimately led him no closer to discovering the truth.

Tonight he felt particularly agitated by the endless maze before him. He needed fresh air to clear his head, and he knew how to get it. Yami didn't often take advantage of this, but Yugi was such a heavy sleeper, he was practically comatose. It was a simple matter for the pharaoh to slip past his host's consciousness and gain sole control of the body they shared. While Yugi's mind slept, Yami was free to do with their shared vessel as he pleased. The first time he'd discovered this, he'd felt almost guilty. Not once had he ever considered trying to take control of Yugi's body by force - the way the spirit of the millennium ring took Bakura's - but taking it over while he was sleeping still felt deceitful. The spirit knew, however, that he meant no harm, and he enjoyed his late night strolls too much to give them up.

Slipping into Yugi's flesh was always a strange experience, like pulling on a glove that fit just a little too snugly. When both he and his host controlled their body, his senses were muted, as if he were receiving only half of the experience. Piloting it alone made his sensory input so sharp it was shocking. He spent a few seconds just blinking in awe at the array of colors and textures around him. Even in the dark, every little detail jumped out at him, from the grooved pattern in the carpet to the faint light that reflected off the bolts in the furniture. The first night he'd done this, he'd wasted two hours just staring around him and another two on running his hands over everything he could touch. He honestly wondered how any mortal creature ever accomplished anything when there was so much to simply _feel_. He chalked it up to one of the greatest drawbacks of the human mind: the ability to take the normal for granted. Humans walked amongst miracles every day and discarded them as ordinary.

The sun would be up in a couple of hours, and Yami knew what he most wanted to see: the night sky. As silently as he could, he slipped through the automatic door leading out of his chamber and into the dim corridor that lay beyond it. His footsteps sounded deafening in the dead quiet as they led him past a series of numbered doors. The elevator at the end of the hallway was his ticket to a perfect view of Domino City at night. He pressed the up button and the doors slid open. He stepped inside, and the doors closed behind him almost immediately. Even the sensation of the elevator rising amazed him. The world had certainly changed a lot in the past few millennia.

A few moments later, the elevator slowed to a stop opened, revealing a dazzling sight: the black velvet sky stretched above him for miles, punctuated by a countless number of iridescent stars. An eyelash of moon hung near a cluster of fluffy clouds and bathed them in faint silver light. Domino City itself was a sight to behold. It sprawled to every corner of the horizon, seemingly as limitless as the heavens themselves. Multicolored neon lights blazed in full force, and skyscrapers reached for the stars like long, steel fingers. The cold winds howling around him seemed to make the image even crisper. Yami was rooted to the spot, drinking in the beauty of the two very different sights before him. The city was a credit to the ingenuity of man: its design was flawless and inspired endless wonder. The sky, however, exuded an asymmetrical, random perfection that man could never duplicate.

Yami was so caught up in the view, he failed to notice the presence of another. A tall man stood at the end of the observation deck with his back to the elevator. The pharaoh recognized his long white coat instantly: Seto Kaiba. It seemed Yami wasn't the only one suffering from insomnia. He stood still, wondering if Kaiba had noticed him. He must have heard the elevator doors open, yet he hadn't said a word. Should he say something? Should he leave? The stoic CEO wasn't exactly known for being good company, and Yami had intended to enjoy the view alone.

As if sensing his mental debate, Kaiba glanced over his shoulder and locked eyes with the pharaoh. Yami was momentarily struck by the vision: half of Kaiba's angular face was drenched in dramatic shadow while the other half glowed with a mixture of starlight and neon. His eyes, deeper than an ocean, were whirling with artificial color produced by the city lights. Yami had no qualms about appreciating beauty in others, and although the brunet had caused him an untold amount of trouble, there was no denying Seto Kaiba was a devastatingly attractive man.

The CEO turned his face forward again, and for a moment, Yami wondered if Kaiba intended to ignore him.

He started to turn away, but a deep voice startled him. "You're up late."

Yami smiled. "You're up early."

He thought he heard a faint chuckle in response but assumed he was imagining things. Kaiba chuckled when massacring his opponents, not at jokes.

"I assume you're awake for the same reason I am, Yugi," Kaiba continued, not bothering to turn around. "You've been preparing for the finals tomorrow."

Yami strolled closer and leaned against the railing on the leftmost edge of the deck, since the brunet had made it obvious he wasn't going to move to accommodate conversation. "Something like that. I want to enjoy some fresh air while the little one sleeps."

"Little one?"

"Yugi."

Yami heard Kaiba snort with disdain. "Not that pharaoh spirit bullshit again. It pains me to think my greatest rival is out of his fucking mind."

The Egyptian didn't bother to retort. It didn't matter if Kaiba believed him or not. He had done his best to convey the truth to the other man, and there was nothing more he could do. His ignorance was his own choice and a foolish one to say the least.

He saw Kaiba sneak a quick look at him, assessing him from head to toe. He supposed the taller youth was looking for some form of physical evidence that his claim might actually be true. Such was the way with men like Kaiba: they believed in hard science and proven fact alone; they even doubted their own senses if it kept their grip on "reality" safe. The saddest part was deep down Yami knew Kaiba respected him and wanted to take him at his word. Doing so, however, would mean letting go of an important part of his personal identity: the part that trusted no one but himself. He needed to feel like he was in control of his destiny, and as a result he would never take the leap of faith Yami wanted him to take.

"You should get some sleep," Yami remarked idly, half hoping Kaiba would leave him to enjoy the sunrise in solitude. "You'll need to be well rested for the finals tomorrow."

"In my most sleep-deprived state I still possess the mental faculties to defeat you."

The spirit rolled his eyes. "Funny, I remember beating you several times when you were perfectly awake."

"I won our last duel."

"Yes, because you threatened to kill yourself if I didn't let you."

Kaiba growled and whipped around. "I did what I had to do in order to win."

"That could also be called cheating, you know."

"Yugi, I don't recommend pushing me much further. I'm a patient man, but I'm not known for my good temper."

"Oh, I'm glad you told me that. I never could have figured it out otherwise."

Before the spiky-haired teen could react, Kaiba was mere inches away and had one hand fisted in Yami's black shirt. His other hand was balled at his side and trembling slightly, as if he were barely controlling a mad impulse to punch something. His blue eyes were even colder than usual, and every muscle in his handsome face had grown taut with tension. Yami was still leaning against the deck railing, and he knew that if Kaiba lost control and shoved him, he could easily fall overboard. Somehow, this imminent danger didn't make the pharaoh feel like backing down. It made him feel like exploring Kaiba's limits. Perhaps lack of proper rest had made the spirit reckless. Perhaps it was the thrill of seeing Kaiba's sculpted face up close for the first time without Yugi's presence to cloud the vision. Yami could clearly pick out every rivulet of color in the other man's eyes: ranging from stormy gray to royal blue. He suppressed the delighted shiver that wanted to trickle down his spine. Now was not the time for such feelings.

The spirit raised his chin defiantly. "Where's all your cool confidence, Kaiba? I never took you for the sort of man who can't face up to his past mistakes."

"I didn't make a mistake, Yugi. I risked my life in order to seize victory, and I succeeded. I don't know what's gotten into you, but you need to go back to making friendship speeches before I really lose my temper."

Yami laughed. He could feel himself growing more daring by the second. "You keep calling me by that name, but the person you're looking for isn't here right now."

"Shut up!" Kaiba released him and jumped back a step. His long, lean body trembled slightly, and for the first time the Egyptian realized what a toll this tournament was taking on his rival. He was mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted, but he was too stubborn and caught up in his thirst for power to even realize it. Otherwise, he wouldn't have reacted so explosively to Yami's words. Kaiba would never admit it, but his desire to be infallible was weakening him more and more with every passing day. He was letting his normally suppressed emotions rise to the surface, and he was being obvious about it.

In short: Kaiba was losing his edge, and not only did he know it, but he knew that Yami knew it.

Blue eyes locked on purple, and both teens stared unblinkingly at each other, trying to guess the other's thoughts while hiding their own. The smaller man thought he saw a hint of uncertainty in those brilliant sapphire eyes, though uncertainty about what was the real question.

"I have an idea," Yami said calmly. Kaiba narrowed his eyes but didn't interrupt. "Since neither of us is going to sleep anytime soon, and since we both have been playing Duel Monsters for ludicrously high stakes this entire tournament, why don't we have a friendly match? No God cards, no locator cards, and no titles: just for fun and bragging rights like we used to do back in simpler times."

"I single-handedly run a multi-billion dollar company," Kaiba snapped. "What makes you think I have time for a silly card game?"

Yami's mouth dropped open as the hypocritical absurdity of Kaiba's statement hit him. He started to protest, but then he stopped short. "Wait a second… Kaiba… was that… were you… _joking_? Was that a _joke_? Can you even _do_ that?" It fully sunk in a moment later, and the spirit positively erupted with laughter: he threw his head back, his mouth fell open even further, and his shoulders heaved.

Kaiba's lips twitched ever so faintly upwards. "I almost feel like I should be insulted by your laughter."

With great effort, Yami stifled himself mid-giggle and rubbed moisture from his eyes. "I'm just flabbergasted, honestly. We were in the middle of a tense situation, and you told a _joke_ to _lighten the mood_. I didn't think you had it in you. Christ, I want to tell everyone, but they'd never believe me."

"You are so fucking dramatic sometimes." Kaiba turned away and strode towards the elevator. "Better hurry up or I'll lock you out here until morning."

Yami trailed after him, still slightly dumbfounded at the discovery that his rival was capable of humor. Perhaps he wasn't as one-dimensional and power crazed as he usually seemed. Their elevator ride was silent, and when the doors opened on their floor, the Egyptian realized Kaiba had never answered him about their friendly duel. The CEO stepped wordlessly out into the hallway and turned towards room number one. Yami paused, not certain if he should follow or not. Kaiba noticed the other man's hesitation waved him over. He then swiped his access card through a reader near the door and punched in a six-number code. The entrance slid back to reveal a chamber much bigger than the other seven bedrooms. Its furniture also looked a lot more comfortable: cushioned instead of bare metal. There was a queen-sized bed pushed into the back right corner, and the entire far wall was nothing but floor-length windows. The view was almost as good as the one on top of the blimp. A mahogany computer desk sat against the same back wall, covered by neat stacks of papers and two open laptops. The adjacent wall to the left had a black leather couch, two matching footstools, and white shaded lantern with a black Chinese dragon painted on it. A few tasteful, modern paintings dotted the walls, mostly abstract designs in black and white. The area was compulsively neat, as could be expected from a man who became a CEO at such a young age, but it wasn't completely lacking in personal taste.

"It figures you took the master suite for yourself," Yami remarked slyly. Kaiba rolled his eyes and entered the room, peeling his coat off and throwing it over the back of an armchair next to a long table in the center of the room. The pharaoh followed suit and took off his own short blue jacket, but he instead threw it over the arm of the couch before plopping onto it. His body sunk comfortably into the leather while still feeling supported.

"This is the kind of couch I could easily fall asleep on," he said idly, more to himself than to Kaiba.

To his surprise, Kaiba responded, "That is usually where I sleep when I use this aircraft for travel."

Yami blinked at the admission. _Kaiba sleeps? _Kaiba continued as if to cover up that he'd said anything revealing. "It's comfortable, and Mokuba likes the bed better."

"You let your little brother sleep in your room?"

"Sometimes. He's afraid of thunder storms."

"That's… kind of adorable."

"Shut the fuck up."

Kaiba walked over to one of his laptops and pressed a few keys. Pages of numbers that made exactly zero sense to Yami popped up. They must have meant something to the brunet because he spent a moment studying them and changing a figure or two before closing both laptops.

Kaiba turned around and walked to the skinny table in the center of the room. "Come over here."

"Why?"

The CEO's face flashed briefly with surprise, as if he weren't used to having people question his orders. "Did you want to duel or not?"

Yami reluctantly lifted himself from the couch and made his way to one of the chairs lining the table. Kaiba took a seat on the opposite side and pulled his deck from his front pant pocket. The spirit likewise pulled his deck from a compartment in one of his belts. It was already well shuffled, but he knew Kaiba would want to cut it himself. Even a game with no stakes was serious business to the brunet. They exchanged decks, cut them, and handed them back wordlessly. For a moment, the two rivals considered each other. It seemed to dawn on them that they weren't entirely certain why they were here. They were going to duel tomorrow anyways, so why waste their time?

Then Kaiba did probably the last thing Yami would have ever expected. He smiled the slightest ghost of a smile and said, "Even I think it's nice to have company sometimes, Yugi."

Yami quite literally had nothing to say to that. He set his deck down and drew five cards, purposefully not looking at his opponent as he did so. He drew mostly monster cards: two of his Magnet Warriors, his Dark Magician Girl, a Monster Reborn, and Polymerization. He glanced at Kaiba's face as he drew his own cards and saw slight disappointment in his expression. That told Yami instantly that Kaiba had failed to draw a Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

The brunet met his gaze and all emotion melted seamlessly from his features. Kaiba's poker face was one of the best the pharaoh had ever encountered, but the smaller teen wasn't fooled.

"I'll take the honor of the first turn, if you don't mind." Yami drew one of his monster cards and placed it vertically on the table. "I call upon Alpha the Magnet Warrior in attack mode."

"Good monster," Kaiba said with a smirk, "but not good enough. I summon Axe Raider in attack mode. Your Magnet Warrior is destroyed, and you lose 300 life points." The brunet leaned back and folded his arms: an image of unshakable self-satisfaction.

"That's not very nice," Yami yawned. Feigning indifference was the best way to piss Kaiba off and get him to make a rash mistake. "I draw." He glanced at his new card. The Book of Secret Arts. Perfect. "I summon Gamma the Magnet Warrior to the field."

"I do hate to state the obvious, Yugi, but that card is no match for my Axe Raider, and-"

"I don't know why you assume I'm stupid, but if you want to have any chance at winning this duel, you should refrain from doing so in the future."

Kaiba's mouth audibly clicked shut, and his blue eyes flashed dangerously. Yami couldn't be certain, but he sensed a strange sort of tension in the air. His opponent seemed restless; he wasn't twitching or fidgeting, but the way he held himself made it seem as though he really wanted to. His eyes swept almost continuously towards the far side of the room, where the windows displayed the gradual lightening of the sky, then to Yami, and finally to the door.

_Is he concerned about what time it is? _The Egyptian wondered. _Does he think someone is going to wake soon and interrupt us? Why would that matter? If I didn't know better, I'd say he's nervous about being alone with me in his room._ Yami shook his head slightly to clear that final thought away. It was a dangerous one.

"I sacrifice my Magnet Warrior to summon Dark Magician Girl in attack mode," the purple-eyed teen continued, "and I'll add 500 points to her strength using this, the Book of Secret Arts. That means you lose 800 life points, and I gain the lead."

Kaiba stared at the monster card on Yami's side of the field as if it were the most captivating thing he'd ever seen. A few quiet moments passed, and the pharaoh began to feel slightly uncomfortable.

"Is there a problem, Kaiba?"

"I was just thinking," the brunet remarked calmly, "that the card you just played is probably the prettiest in the game."

Yami blinked. "What do you mean?"

"That Magician Girl. If she were real, she'd be very attractive."

The Egyptian was once again completely speechless. _What the fuck is up with him tonight?_ He cleared his throat and ran a hand through his spiky hair. "I suppose so. I wouldn't exactly call her my type."

"Oh? Then what is your type?"

It took everything Yami had not to let his face show just how incredulous he felt. Was Kaiba testing him or something? Was this some sort of trick meant to throw him off his game? Suddenly, a wicked idea entered his head. _Two can play at this game._

"Most men would probably agree with you that the Dark Magician Girl is attractive," Yami began with a smile. He turned his deck over and hunted through it until he found what he was looking for, "but I'm sure you already know which card is more my type." He held up the Dark Magician for Kaiba to see.

For a brief moment, a hint of disbelief entered the CEO's lovely eyes, but he quickly covered it with a smirk. "Why Yugi, that sounds like a confession to me."

Yami had a comeback ready and waiting, "Yours was better. I had no idea you even had a sex drive, let alone a hard on for a Duel Monsters card." He grinned. "Though I suppose it's fitting. You always did love the game more than the people who play it, yourself excluded."

Kaiba jumped to his feet and placed his palms on the table top. He glared menacingly down at Yami. "I never said I was attracted to the card, just that it's attractive. You're the one who decided to take that as an invitation to talk about your freaky sexual preferences."

The pharaoh stood as well, slowly, and folded his arms casually across his chest. "Egypt wasn't very strict about sexual orientation back in the day. We didn't have major world religions screeching at us about fire and brimstone, and everyone was more concerned with building an empire than who everyone else was fucking."

"That bullshit again. When are you going to give the ancient Egypt spiel a rest?"

"You have a remarkable ability to ignore the obvious. I know you've noticed the changes that overcome this body when I control it. My voice is deeper, and my energy is entirely different from little Yugi's."

"Everyone looks different when they duel."

"Not that different."

Kaiba didn't relax from his aggressive pose in the slightest. In fact, he seemed to be growing more tense by the second. For the second time that night, the spirit wondered if he was going to return Yugi's body to him with a few mysterious bruises. The idea sent a small thrill through him. He was generally a peaceful person, but he certainly enjoyed it when things got a little rough. It would give him great pleasure to break Kaiba's aloof demeanor and see some testosterone emerge from the beautiful man. He could admit quietly to himself that there was something perverse in that desire, but he hardly cared.

The brunet narrowed his eyes. "Nice try, but I still don't believe it. I'm sticking with my original theory: you're full of shit."

"You're just mad because you're losing to an old man."

Kaiba's top lip drew up into a slight sneer. "Stop saying shit like that. It's creepy."

Yami raised an amused eyebrow and leaned forward, intentionally invading Kaiba's space until they were close enough to feel each other's breath. "Now why would you think that's creepy, Kaiba? Please, enlighten me."

The taller youth's face showed no emotion, but Yami instinctively knew that his opponent had revealed something he hadn't intended. He couldn't begin to guess what that something was, but it was obvious it made Kaiba uneasy.

"You seem agitated, Kaiba," Yami leaned a little closer and cocked his head to the side. He had literally no idea where he was going with this, but he wasn't about to back down now. "You've been nervous since the moment we entered your room. What is it about having me here alone that makes you so uncomfortable?"

Kaiba's mouth dropped open slightly, but he seemed incapable of forming a response. One by one, his features registered shock and uncertainty. Yami didn't know what nerve he'd hit, but he'd hit it dead on.

"Why don't you man up and speak your mind?" Yami smirked. "Or are you afraid?"

The two youths had gotten so caught up in their conversation they'd failed to notice the sun rising. Kaiba Corp Island could be plainly seen on the horizon, backlit by brilliant sunlight, and it was mere minutes away if the blimp kept on course.

Unfortunately, it wasn't going to.

Sudden turbulence rocked the entire aircraft, and before Yami could do anything about it, he was pitched off balance. His face crashed forward into Kaiba's, and for the briefest of moments, their lips locked together. Raw electricity shot through the pharaoh's body with so much force, it left him speechless. He opened his eyes and saw a sea of startling blue: the brunet was staring right back at him. The first tremor faded away, and Yami wrenched himself backwards, his amethyst eyes widening with surprise. He touched his lips and then looked incredulously at his fingers. He knew he was attracted to Kaiba, but he hadn't expected his body to react so violently to him. Already he could feel his skin heating up, and their "kiss" had barely lasted five seconds.

The brunet looked equally stunned, but he recovered faster than Yami. The spirit expected him to be furious, but instead he merely looked determined.

"You want to know why you make me nervous?" Kaiba growled. "This is why."

The next thing he knew, Yami was being yanked forward again, not by turbulence but by the handful of shirt Kaiba had grabbed. The CEO shoved their lips forcefully together and gave Yami by far the most thorough kiss he had ever received. Perhaps it was Yami's heightened senses that made it seem like every living sinew in his body was now on fire. Perhaps it was the outrageous softness of the brunet's lips or the way his large hand dragged itself through Yami's hair. Whatever it was, he knew that he _never, ever, ever_ wanted it to stop. When Kaiba's tongue darted out began to trace a hot, wet line along Yami's lips, the pharaoh swore he was going to fly apart into a thousand pieces from the sheer sensory overload. He shuddered from head to toe, and his knees almost gave out beneath him. This was not fair.

He lifted a hand and started to push Kaiba away, but the brunet caught it and dragged it above their heads, stretching Yami's body up into one long, lewd line. The pharaoh felt hot, much too hot. It was almost unbearable. The brunet's other hand found its way to the hem of Yami's shirt and slipped under it.

"Ha-" Yami couldn't stop his gasp. Kaiba's hand was so cold compared to his fevered skin. The spirit panted heavily as Kaiba tickled his fingers over his taut stomach. He turned his hand over and raked his fingernails down Yami's abdomen, and the spirit let out an odd, strangled noise: halfway between a moan and a gasp.

The pharaoh needed to regain his senses. This was insane. Kaiba was his greatest rival, and they were currently experiencing an earthquake in midair. This needed to stop.

"Kaiba," Yami began, his voice breathy with lust. The taller teen pulled back just barely and looked at him, and Yami nearly swooned when he saw those sapphire eyes turned black with desire.

Kaiba pressed his lips to Yami's ear. "I love your voice," he murmured, tightening his grip on the Egyptian's wrist. "I love how it sounds when you're desperate."

Another spasm of turbulence rocked through the aircraft, this one so strong it shook the entire room.

Yami seized the opportunity to pull out of Kaiba's grasp, still panting slightly. The two men regarded each other for a tense second before the spirit spoke, "We have to find the others and see what's going on." Just then, Yami felt little Yugi's consciousness stirring. "Yugi is waking. He must not know what just happened."

"I wasn't planning on telling anyone," Kaiba assured him; his voice sounded so bitterly cold, the pharaoh shivered.

The CEO watched Yami closely as Yugi woke and took control of their mutual vessel.

The younger, more innocent inhabitant of the body blinked owlishly at Kaiba and looked around him. "Where am I? What's going on?"

_Either this kid does the greatest job of playing dumb I've ever seen, _Kaiba thought to himself, _or… _He didn't finish the thought because yet another bout of turbulence shook the ship. "I don't know what's going on, Yugi, but we need to get to the command center."

The two teens raced off as the aircraft rocked furiously. Yugi attempted to contact the spirit of the millennium puzzle for more information, but his mind was entirely silent.

_I wonder why I was just in Kaiba's room…_

Yugi resolved to ask the pharaoh the next time their minds merged. He would never get the chance, however. Within a few minutes they would all be sucked into Noah's virtual world, and Yami's strange encounter with Kaiba would be almost forgotten…

…

…

**Author's Note**: How's that for a cliff hanger? I felt a little iffy about this chapter for a while, since I felt like I was just retelling the canon story from my perspective, but it's important for me to show the changes Yami undergoes as an individual and how Kaiba and he arrive at where they are in the first chapter. Hopefully everyone is willing to bear with me through my insane definition of chronology.

Thanks again to everyone who reviewed! The more reviews I get, the faster I will update! Until next time, may your lives be blessed with well-written yaoi!

As promised, here's another rule from our drinking game:

**Rule Number Two**: Take a shot anytime someone's coat billows behind them at greater than a ninety degree angle.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note**: Oh man Oh man Oh man, are you guys ever in for it XD. I had an absolute _blast_ writing this chapter, and I hope you guys have as much fun reading it. Thanks for all the awesome reviews on my last chapter! I want to hear from each and every one of you!

**Warning: **Yaoi content ahoy! Abandon ship! I am not kidding you. If you have any doubts about how much you like yaoi… well, first of all, why are you here? Second of all, _don't keep reading._ Seriously. I warned you. ;)

As always, this fic is dedicated to **Teal, Dyan, and Gunslinger**. You are my muses, and one day I will drape you in gold and laurel leaves to prove it, ha ha.

…

…

**Present Day**

The inside of the slick black sports car smelled exactly how Yami expected it to smell: a mixture of new leather, gasoline, carpet shampoo, a hint of Kaiba's rich cologne (complete with that ever-so-tantalizing cinnamon scent), and something unidentifiable that always lingered around luxury. The best word the Egyptian could think of to describe it was "expensive". The car smelled like what it was: a powerful machine built for speed, stamina, and sheer domination. Most of all it was built to serve as a living status symbol, an unobtainable icon that the common man could use as motivation. Every polished chrome surface and sleek angle was designed to inspire awe and envy, to make people on the streets mutter under their breath that money isn't everything. It sliced through the night so seamlessly it seemed to meld with the shadows themselves. The blacker-than-black tinting on the windows made Yami feel shut off from the world, as if he'd slipped into his own private viewing room from which he could gaze out at the world and laugh at what he saw.

Yami glanced at the man in the driver's seat out of the corner of his eye, not wanting him to know he was being observed. Kaiba stroked the steering wheel with his large left hand; the slightest of touches was all it took to guide the machine through every twist and turn. His other hand rested lightly on the manual transmission, shifting them through gears with no more than a gentle flick of his long fingers. The car seemed to respond more to its master's thoughts than to his actions. They streaked up to a red light and stopped so smoothly it took Yami a moment to realize they were no longer moving. The idling engine purred almost inaudibly, like a sleeping jungle cat.

Kaiba lifted his hand from the stick shift and pressed a chrome button in the center of the dashboard. Cyan lights flashed from behind a dark glass screen, and the names of several radio stations scrolled across it. The brunet selected one, and a catchy pop song poured from speakers in the ceiling. It was precisely the right volume: loud enough to cover a lack of conversation but not so loud as to discourage it.

"Your taste in music surprises me, sweetheart," Yami drawled, leaning casually back in his seat. The light turned green, and the little car shot effortlessly forward, easily clearing the intersection before the other cars even started moving again.

Kaiba sent Yami a knowing smirk before fixing his icy eyes on the road once more. "I'm sure you expected something more refined."

"At least it's not rap."

Kaiba pressed another button, and immediately a fast-paced, bass-heavy rap song reverberated through the air. Yami didn't even attempt to conceal his disbelief, and the CEO grinned. He started mouthing the lyrics perfectly.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you've heard this song before, Kaiba."

"I listen to the radio on the way to work like everyone else. What's so surprising about it?"

"The 'everyone else' part. I never figured you'd deign to partake of our commoner music." The Egyptian's smooth voiced dripped with sarcasm.

Kaiba frowned. "I almost want to take that as a compliment."

"Take it however you want. It doesn't matter." Yami turned his face away and gazed out his window. He could feel Kaiba's eyes probing him, searching for explanations in his body language. The blue-eyed teen considered himself a master of letting his surface show only what he wanted, but Yami had had thousands of years to perfect the art.

"You certainly have changed a considerable amount since I last saw you," Kaiba replied, a hint of derision in his voice. He was trying to draw the other man out, get him to make a mistake. "You didn't used to be so bitter."

Yami was already two steps ahead. "Forgive me for my rudeness. Nice weather we're having, no? And how about that local sports team? What other small talk bullshit would you prefer to discuss? I didn't realize the recent turmoil in my life was so troublesome." His head was still buzzing from all the alcohol he'd consumed, but no amount of intoxication could dull his rapier wit.

The brunet had no reply, and it infuriated him. He knew deep down that Yami and Yugi - originally one person - had somehow separated into two, but admitting it even to himself was something he simply couldn't do. He'd chosen to believe that two semi-identical dueling twins had been fucking with his head for years, and he would stick to that story until the day he died. Developing a sexual interest in one of the twins complicated matters more than he cared for, but there had always been something about Yami - some invisible untraceable quality - that drew him closer the more he tried to pull away.

Kaiba had originally interpreted his feelings as respect for the Egyptian's skill. Yami's confidence was unwavering, and the way he always went straight for the jugular - especially Kaiba's jugular - made his heart pound. Discovering that killer instinct in another person was the most potent aphrodisiac he'd ever encountered. It was a trait few people possessed and the reason why only certain people could become top duelists. It belonged solely to those born with the reckless ability to gamble everything they had based on nothing more than blind certainty that they would conquer in the end. It was the same kind of brazen quality that built empires and toppled tyrants.

Kaiba supposed he was admitting to a mortal sin: vanity. The traits that made Yami desirable to him were the same traits he valued most in himself. Regardless of the reasons why, he knew what he wanted from the pharaoh and had every intention of forcing it out of him. He had never been an easy man to deny, and the challenge only made the chase more thrilling.

"If you're going to mope all night about the things you've willingly done to yourself, you can walk the rest of the way home." Kaiba's eyes darkened dangerously. He was positively begging for a confrontation. They were heading up to a long bridge, and if he had to dump Yami off it to wake him up, he would gladly do it. The traffic light just before the bridge changed to red. He eased his beautiful car to a stop and turned in his seat to face the Egyptian. "I'm not here to listen to your sob story and pat you on the back. If you're looking for a shoulder to cry on, you've come to the wrong place."

"No need to tell me, sweetheart." Yami was still staring out his window, seemingly unconcerned. "I'm not the one who came looking for you, if you'll remember. I've only ever expected two things from you, and one of them is a challenging duel."

Kaiba turned back to the road, silently pleading with the street light to turn green and end this conversation. "Do tell what the other thing is-ahhh!" The brunet gasped as he felt something warm and supple creep up his thigh. He didn't have to look down to know Yami had slipped his hand into his lap and was now ghosting long fingers over his sensitive inner thigh.

Kaiba gripped the steering wheel for dear life and tried not to make it too obvious how instantly and thoroughly this aroused him. "That's not going to work."

"It certainly looks like it's working."

The brunet bit his lip to stifle a low moan as Yami began kneading his flesh in slow circles. Those teasing fingers slipped leisurely down to his knee, and then fingernails raked their way up his leg inch by provocative inch. The closer they got to that danger zone between his legs, the more Kaiba felt his self control crumble away. Against his wishes, his head fell back against his seat and he closed his eyes. A slight tremor shook his whole body as he attempted to contain his reaction to the teasing touch. If a steering wheel could bruise, it would have livid purple bands across it by now from the way he'd latched onto it, using it as an anchor to reality.

"Yami, I'm not kidding you," Kaiba grunted through clenched teeth. "Stop it."

"Don't tell me you don't want me." Yami's voice had become no more than a deep rumble, and Kaiba swore in that moment it was the most erotic sound he had ever heard. "I know you do. I can feel it. Especially _here._"

Kaiba moaned without restraint as he felt a hot palm rub against his growing arousal with just the right amount of pressure. He shuddered and bucked against it by reflex, wanting so much more contact. "God fucking dammit, Yami, that feels good."

"Oh so you do want me, Kaiba? I was beginning to have doubts." Yami's voice slithered with raw desire. The way he said Kaiba's name made it sound like a sin. The brunet had never before heard anything quite so delicious.

A car horn sounded behind them, and Kaiba's eyes snapped open. The light was green, and here he was blocking an entire lane of traffic while his incredibly sexy passenger felt him up. His foot tapped the accelerator and the car shot forward and onto the bridge. If the brunet thought he was safe because they were moving again, he was sadly mistaken. He felt something tickle his stomach and realized too late that Yami was undoing his belt: a master picking a lock. It was off and thrown carelessly into the backseat no more than a second later.

"You can't be serious," Kaiba growled, unable to hide the lust that deepened his voice.

"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about," Yami drawled. His fingers popped the button on Kaiba's pants open with alarming ease and teased at the zipper, pushing it down one alluring click at a time. "I'm not," _click_ "doing anything," _click_ "wrong, am I?" _click_ "If you want me," _click_ "to stop," _click _"all you have to do," _click_ "is ask." Kaiba opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, Yami's hand slid into his pants and began leaving trails of fire over every inch of his skin.

"Haaa-" Kaiba groaned, barely managing to keep his eyes open and on the road. The Egyptian's fingernails dug into his inner thigh and found a spot about an inch down from his hip that immediately made his very skin quiver with pleasure. Yami picked up on the brunet's reaction and massaged that spot with his knuckles. Kaiba's nerve endings shot off like fireworks in response. The car had reached the top of the bridge, and one wrong turn of the wheel would send them flying into three feet of concrete and metal railing.

"You're going to get us fucking killed," Kaiba panted. Despite his protests, he had to admit this was the most turned on he had ever been in his entire life.

"I can think of worse ways to die."

The brunet felt something pull roughly at his hips, and he realized a second too late that Yami had miraculously managed to yank his pants down to his knees. His boxers were somehow still in place, but the thin cotton fabric did little to make him feel safe.

His eyes widened as he grasped the other man's intent. "Don't-ahhhh!" A spiky head appeared in his lap, and he felt a hot mouth clamp down on his inner thigh, right over that sensitive spot. Yami's tongue laved it with attention, relishing in the sweet taste of Kaiba's creamy skin. The pharaoh sucked the area into his mouth and bit down. Time seemed to slow as white-hot fire flooded Kaiba's veins. He had never felt anything like it before. The sounds coming from the brunet were a luscious mixture of moans and growls: bestial and just a little dark. He was already dangerously close to orgasm, and if he came now he would lose control of the car for certain. He grabbed a handful of Yami's spiky hair and yanked back. The Egyptian released his hold on the other man's skin with a wet popping noise. He was grinning shamelessly, and Kaiba couldn't help but feel like he'd just signed his soul away to a purple-eyed devil.

"Something wrong, sweetheart?"

"If I had a free hand, I'd smack that grin off your face."

They reached the end of the bridge moments later, and the road merged into just two lanes, each walled in by thick, towering trees. Perfect. Kaiba pulled over immediately, not caring in the slightest that they were near a street lamp and mere feet from a busy road. As soon as the car stopped, he flicked it into neutral, hit the automatic lock button, and crushed his mouth to Yami's. The car immediately grew warmer, a comfortable sort of heat that came with the best sex in expensive cars. The pharaoh met his lips eagerly and slipped his tongue into Kaiba's mouth. The brunet let the other man explore him for a moment before seizing the dominate position; he forced his tongue passed Yami's lips and dipped into honey-sweet warmth and wetness. Their tongues massaged each other in sync until the minutes melted together. The windows had already fogged beyond all visibility, but both teens doubted they could have seen straight regardless.

Kaiba broke away and drew a deep, ragged breath. Through half-lidded eyes he studied the face of the beautiful man next to him: expressive amethyst eyes, thick black lashes, kiss-bruised lips, and pale skin with just a hint of rich color, like oiled milk. Another ripple of desire coursed through his body, and without thinking he grabbed Yami by the hips and pulled him into his lap. Both boys swooned the second their hips came together, the mutual friction threatening to overload their senses. Kaiba's hands slid under the Egyptian's shirt and pulled it over his head in one fluid motion. It joined the CEO's belt in the backseat, and he drank in the sight of Yami's perfectly toned abdomen glistening with a thin sheen of sweat. Next came his pants: Kaiba couldn't slide them down far, but he could unzip them and remove the last fabric barrier between their mutual erections. The Egyptian's hands were busy as well, stripping Kaiba's coat from his broad shoulders and nimbly unbuttoning his shirt. As soon as it was open, Yami leaned back to admire the view. Kaiba could have easily been chiseled from alabaster.

"Like what you see?" Even the breathy quality in the brunet's voice couldn't mask his cocky tone. He could plainly see boiling desire in Yami's half-lidded eyes, but he wanted to make the proud man admit it.

"Enough teasing," Yami purred, punctuating his statement by bucking his hips forward against Kaiba's. A hot rush of blood flooded straight into the CEO's groin, and he moaned loudly. Yami started to move his hips again, but Kaiba's hands clamped down on them and held them still.

"I asked you a question." Blue eyes glittered smugly in the semi-darkness.

"Kaiba," Yami growled warningly. His entire body was already tingling with his imminent orgasm; if he was teased much more, he was going to fucking lose it.

"That is my name, yes." The brunet rolled his hips forward, rubbing the entire length of his impossibly hard dick against Yami's. Both men cried out at the sudden friction, pleasure spiking through them like lightning. Kaiba's iron grip still held the Egyptian's hips in place. He controlled the pace, and nothing would stop him from getting what he wanted.

"Answer me, Yami. I want to know if you like it." He rolled his hips smoothly forward again, and the two men shuddered in unison. Yami reached out blindly for something to grip, and his hands found Kaiba's firm shoulders.

"Ah, ah, ah!" Yami moaned as the brunet continued to rub their mutual hard ons together with infuriating slowness. Something hot and tight was coiling in the pit of his stomach, and he would give just about anything to release it.

"Kaiba, I-" Yami was panting too hard to speak "I li-ahhh God yes!"

"Come on," Kaiba hissed, his eyes clenched shut as he attempted to fight back the delicious burning between his legs. Yami wasn't the only one who was close. "Tell me you like it." Kaiba was moving faster now, grinding their hips roughly together again and again and again. The Egyptian was struggling to match his pace, to get as much contact as he feasibly could, but the brunet's grip couldn't be broken. His breathing became so irregular he started seeing spots. The two teens had been nursing their attraction, their frustration, their ache for each other for too long now. This was not going to be one of those tantalizing sex-a-thons that looked like a scene from a movie and lasted for long, teasing hours. This was a moment for the big boys: a moment of sloppy, unprofessional, I-have-to-fuck-you-now need that would make them both want to masturbate every time they thought about it for a month afterwards.

Yami sucked in the deepest breath he could manage and tried to clear his head enough for words. "Kaiba, I-ahhh-I like it! I want you, ahh yes! I want you so fucking much!"

Kaiba thought he was going to come right then and there. It took every ounce of willpower he had to rein in the effect the pharaoh's words had on his body. They tingled against his skin, seducing him more than any touch ever could. He released his grip on Yami's hips, and immediately the other man began rocking furiously against him. The hot friction between them sent bolts of pleasure through their bodies. The Egyptian dug his nails into Kaiba's shoulders as his orgasm loomed closer. The brunet was so hard he thought he was going to burst, and only the feeling of Yami's equally hard dick rubbing against his convinced him it was possible to be so turned on. Their skin was slick with precum and sweat, and it would be a miracle if they managed to last another minute.

Kaiba was starting to ache he wanted to come so badly. A strange thought crept into his mind when he knew he had mere seconds left until an orgasm akin to a nuclear meltdown rocked his world apart: _not here._ He wanted to shoo the thought away like a pesky insect, but he knew it was right. _Not here._ He had never been much for romance, had never bought into the idea that sex happened on beds covered in rose petals between adults who were madly in love while soft music played in the background, but even he had to admit he was being careless. A man as beautiful as his Egyptian pharaoh deserved something more than to have his stomach coated in come in the front seat of Kaiba's car next to a highway, regardless of what a good story it would make.

Calling upon literally every ounce of dignity he had left, Kaiba stilled Yami's hips with one hand while the other grabbed his chin and pulled him into a deep kiss. The pharaoh started to struggle, but after a moment he sank into Kaiba's mouth. Their lips stayed locked together until the brunet calmed down enough for speech.

"My mansion isn't far from here." His throat felt raw from moaning so vigorously. "We're big boys now. We can afford to wait until we're somewhere decent."

"Trying to preserve your modesty, sweetheart?" Yami's grin was mocking, but he didn't seem like he wanted to argue. "How cute." The Egyptian paused for a moment, as if he honestly regretted having to move, and maneuvered his legs towards the passenger side of the car and slid back into his seat. Much to Kaiba's delight, he didn't reach for his shirt in the backseat.

The brunet smirked. "I would watch my tongue if I were you. Piss me off and I might get rough."

"There's no such thing as too rough, sweetheart."

"We'll see about that."

…

…

**Author's Note**: I have only one thing left to say - bah ha ha ha! If you ever want these two to fuck like the junkyard bunnies they are inside, I suggest you send me a review. ;)

Here's another rule from our Yu-gi-oh drinking game:

**Rule Number Three**: Drink every time Yugi says "My Millennium Puzzle!"


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:** Thanks for all the awesome reviews, guys! Special thanks to **Shadow Vampiress, BiancaFef, Piper Chris Melinda Halliwell, i luv naruto666, Tru Mel Meiko Mei Ling, The Lady Phantom 1412, Blue September, **and **Cheshire Chet. **You guys are awesome, consistent reviewers, and you motivate me to pump out new chapters like they're going out of style.

This next chapter is going to be a little different from the rest. It's going to be disjointed, because I have to pack a lot of information into a very small amount of space (I'm trying to keep my chapters from going over 7000 words (though admittedly this chapter is already more than that), because as much as long chapters are great, there is such thing as going overboard). Hopefully I won't completely confuse you all and possibly myself in the process, ha ha. Also, this chapter follows the canon decently chronologically, but I've changed a few things in order to allow for Kaiba and Yami to have some sexy time. I _severely_ doubt anyone reading this fic is going to complain, but if you feel the urge, please see my author's note in the first chapter so you may remember how to properly vent your frustrations. ;)

Random side note: I had someone tell me recently that they busted out laughing at one of the lines in my last chapter that I intended to be a joke but didn't really think anyone would find that funny (It was the part at the very end where Kaiba says "A man as beautiful as his Egyptian pharaoh deserved something more than to have his stomach coated in come in the front seat of Kaiba's car next to a highway, regardless of what a good story that would make."). I listed this story as Romance/Humor because I knew I was going to fill it with biting sarcasm and banter, such as the above quote. I've had fics like this before, and people have told me that they don't think the story should be listed as Humor unless it's predominantly meant to be funny. Basically, what I'm asking all of you is do you laugh enough at my insane interpretation of this pairing to think it warrants the Humor listing? If so, please let me know which parts you laughed the most at so I may replicate them in the future. =D Thank you!

As always, this fic is dedicated to **Teal, Gunslinger, and Dyan**. I recently went to a convention with the first two girls, and it was an absolute blast. I'd link you guys to pictures if allowed that.

…

…

**Noah's Virtual World : The Beginning**

_By the Gods, what have I done?_

Yami paced restlessly within the corridors of his mind, his thoughts racing at the speed of light and in an infinite number of directions. Even though he was in his spirit form, he swore he could still feel the heat from Kaiba's lips against his. They had _kissed_, and it wasn't just an accidental brush of lips or a quick peck; there was passion behind the touch and raw need unlike anything the spirit had ever felt before. He knew he must have had lovers in the past, regardless of his lack of concrete memory. He knew from the history classes Yugi had attended while they shared a body that the ancient Egyptians embraced sexuality in a way that few other cultures ever had. It was natural to assume that as a former pharaoh, Yami would have had his choice of fine females and males. By all accounts, seducing an attractive brunet shouldn't have been anything terribly out of the ordinary.

Nevertheless, he felt as giddy as a school boy standing in front of his first porn magazine.

He couldn't begin to fathom what had brought this on. Yami had naturally admitted to himself that Seto Kaiba was a smolderingly sexy man. He'd even intimated as much to Yugi one night but had received only a puzzled shrug in response. The pharaoh hadn't given his attraction any greater thought than acknowledging its existence. He certainly had never planned to act on it: how could he? He didn't have a body of his own, and he would _never_ think of abusing Yugi's trust in order to pursue an ultimately hopeless romance. He already felt guilty enough for using the young boy's body in the dead of night unbeknownst to him. The pharaoh had been allowing himself to be selfish when it simply wasn't ethical. He'd been allowing himself to have a taste of humanity that was no longer rightfully his.

The fact of the matter was, Yami was not really alive. He was a spirit without his own form who should have died thousands of years ago. It was a morbid thought, but it was the truth. Humans don't live forever because they're not supposed to. Old souls give way to new so that everyone can have their chance to change the world. Yami was no exception to this rule, no matter what twist of fate had led him to his current predicament.

Still… Kaiba was the one who had initiated the kiss. Perhaps the blame partially fell on Yami for taunting him so openly. He'd sensed that the brunet was somehow uncomfortable with being alone with him, and he'd poked and prodded at that discomfort until he'd finally broken through Kaiba's reservations. Even so, the spirit never truly expected the other man to _kiss him_. He'd only been half-joking when he'd stated he thought the CEO had no sex drive. Kaiba was as cold and calculating as the machines with which he spent the majority of his time. At least, that was how he'd seemed until he was dragging his nails down Yami's abdomen…

If the spirit had had a body of his own, he would have shivered at the memory.

However, he had to wonder who Kaiba thought he was kissing back there. He didn't believe in "hocus pocus bullshit" - as he so eloquently put it - about spirits and millennium items; did the brunet think he was kissing little Yugi? It would make sense, since Yami really only appeared when Yugi was dueling or otherwise in peril. Conversely, that meant it was usually Yami that Kaiba encountered, as opposed to the actual owner of the body. It wasn't like the stunning CEO showed up just to chat or grab a coffee: he appeared when there were duels to be won, just as the pharaoh did. Perhaps he simply thought Yugi was a multi-faceted being, as all humans ultimately were, and was attracted to both parts of him: the dark and the light. The spirit suspected that somewhere deep in Kaiba's mind, he knew that Yami had told him the truth about who he was. It was impossible to get him to acknowledge it, though, even if he were brazen enough to ask Kaiba directly who he'd meant to kiss.

For now, the brunet's intentions would just have to be a mystery.

As if on cue, the spirit sensed Yugi's consciousness calling out to him. He was undoubtedly trying to ask Yami why he'd woken up in Kaiba's room, a question the spirit couldn't even begin to answer right now. The pharaoh threw up a mental wall to block the call and felt immediately guilty. He'd learned how to shield his mind from the little one during their battle with Pegasus, but he had never before done so for any reason other than to protect him. He was beginning to see a pattern in his recent behavior - a trend towards self-serving tendencies - and he didn't like it one bit.

Yami was going to have to face his young friend soon. He hadn't forgotten about the turbulence the blimp had flown into right as Yugi woke up. The little one and his friends might be in some kind of danger, and the Egyptian had to be available to help them. All he could do now was pray that he would soon be able to put his scandalous tryst with a certain breathtaking brunet behind him. Perhaps things could go back to the way they were before…

Even as he thought it, Yami knew it was hopeless. Change was an inevitable factor of life, and he'd never before been so thoroughly frightened by it.

…

**Somewhere in the Cyber Jungle**

Seto Kaiba muttered darkly under his breath as he shoved a low-hanging branch roughly away from his face. He heard Mokuba shouting for him to slow down somewhere behind him, but he paid his brother little mind. He wasn't in the mood for this petty virtual bullshit. He had enough going on in his life already without some green-haired pipsqueak with daddy issues causing a ruckus. He would pay for the therapy himself if it would get Noah to shut up and grow a pair.

The brunet stomped over several protruding tree roots, still muttering like a mad man. He hadn't the slightest idea where he was going, but he was determined to go _somewhere._ Mokuba caught up with him but knew better than to speak when his big brother got that dark look on his face. Truthfully, Kaiba probably wouldn't have heard him even if he had said something. His mind was still reeling from his last encounter with Yugi, and even an insane plunge into a virtual universe couldn't distract him.

_What the fuck was I thinking?_ The CEO asked himself for what had to be the hundredth time. For once, his brilliant mind failed to supply him with a logical explanation. He wasn't accustomed to acting without reason, and he now knew he didn't have a taste for spontaneity. Every step he took was usually a premeditated maneuver meant to take him somewhere he needed to go or to acquire an asset he wanted. What was the asset in this case? Yugi? Impossible. If he believed in subconscious Freudian nonsense, he would blame some hidden part of himself for this entire predicament. Clearly his mind had betrayed him, not his body.

Kaiba could think of plenty of excuses for his behavior: he'd been running on practically zero sleep for the duration of his tournament, which lowered his inhibitions and weakened his normally infallible judgment. Yugi had been particularly aggressive that night, a quality which Kaiba always found rather arousing, again because it reminded him of himself. There was no one in the world he liked more than Seto Kaiba. The brunet had also been taken by surprise when Yugi pseudo-confessed to being attracted to other men. Kaiba couldn't really claim to have a sexual preference: he was able to comprehend what attributes qualified other humans as "attractive", but he seldom felt the need to act on it. Why, then, had he acted on it with Yugi? The man was clearly insane, always going on and on about magic and the heart of the cards. It almost made the CEO want to laugh.

He had to admit, however, that Yugi was easily the greatest actor he'd ever encountered. When the two teens had run for the central command room on the blimp, Yugi was like an entirely different person. He seemed genuinely surprised to find himself in Kaiba's company and didn't appear to be suffering from any of the symptoms the brunet felt post-kiss: awkwardness, tension, and confusion. He also seemed… _softer_, somehow. He always seemed that way when he wasn't dueling. There was an inexplicable innocence in his eyes that certainly wasn't present when Kaiba kissed him. He wouldn't have been able to kiss that boy, the one with the gentle face and the soothing energy. It just seemed wrong somehow, like kissing someone's grandmother.

"Maybe Yugi's right," Kaiba muttered to himself. "Maybe I do have a hard on for Duel Monsters. I'm only attracted to Yugi when he's dueling."

Kaiba stopped short when he realized what he'd said. He had never before admitted, even to himself, that he was attracted to the purple-eyed teen. In his mind, there was a thick, impregnable line between finding someone attractive and being attracted to them. The former was detached and easy to ignore while the latter was dangerous and demanded to be acted upon. These feelings were ludicrous, of course. Kaiba didn't have any room in his life for a school-boy crush, and he certainly couldn't condone pursuing his own greatest rival: the bane of his otherwise successful career.

Still… the brunet had to admit that their kiss was unlike anything he'd ever experienced before. For once, acting without considering the consequences had paid off. He could still remember the vaguely salty taste of the other man's lips and the unreal suppleness of his skin. The memory was going to keep him up at night in more ways than one. There was a certain charm to the excitement that ran hot in his veins when he thought about Yugi… or whoever it was. His body felt different somehow: lighter. He'd always felt a thrill when he thought about his rival, but never before had he considered it anything more than appreciation for the only mind great enough to best him at his own game. Recent events put a new spin on his earlier interpretations. He'd thought before that he was a man who quite literally had everything, but he'd never had this. For a small moment, he allowed himself to wonder if this was the same feeling that inspired the countless movies and songs on the radio about young romance. As quickly as the thought came, his overwhelming need for practicality set in again and snapped him back to his usual cold reality.

"I must be fucking losing it."

"Big brother, did you say something?"

"Shut up, Mokuba."

…

**Noah's Virtual World : Minutes to Detonation**

Yami ran at a dead sprint. He was in a literal race against the clock, and all he could focus on was pumping his legs as quickly as they could carry him. _What if I don't make it in time? Yugi and Kaiba are both at stake here. I can't afford to fail now._

Yugi had utterly exhausted himself dueling the Big Five again and again, on top of trying to keep his friends safe and help them all escape from this digital nightmare. Yami had offered to take over, and his young friend had had only enough energy to agree before he'd succumbed to coma-like sleep. It was now entirely up to the spirit to run back into Noah's world - at the boy's request nonetheless - and ensure that Kaiba made it out safely. He had but minutes left to save two lives, and the pressure made his entire body break out in numbingly cold sweat.

Battery acid flooded his veins as he forced Yugi's body to maintain a frantic speed that it simply wasn't equipped to handle. Too much time playing card games, not enough time working out. He ignored the burning in his muscles and lungs and sprinted on, passing virtual building after virtual building until they all blurred together in his peripheral vision. He knew he was headed in the right direction. His instincts screamed at him that Kaiba was close. His feet pounded against the pavement with the same rough rhythm as his wild heartbeat. Time was running out…

He saw a flash of white and instinctively whipped towards it. His chest nearly exploded with relief when he saw what he was looking for: the back of the CEO's long coat. Kaiba was standing in the middle of the street, looking up at a building that was the spitting image of Kaiba Corporation's main office.

"Kaiba!" Yami shouted, not understanding why the other man wasn't running towards safety. He had to have heard the alarms announcing the ever-approaching destruction of Noah's world. Why was he just _standing there? _"Kaiba, we have to get out of here _right the fuck now!_ This place is going to explode any minute!"

The brunet didn't even turn to look at him. It was as if he couldn't hear him at all.

Yami reached him a second later and skidded to a stop like a cartoon character; it would have been comical had the situation been anything short of dire. Kaiba didn't turn to look at him; his sapphire eyes were devoid of their usual bitter fire. He was staring forward as if the building in front of him was the only thing that existed.

"Kaiba?" Yami asked cautiously. Nothing. Not even a blink. He didn't have time for this bullshit. Yami did the only thing that made any kind of sense in this situation.

_**SMACK!**_

His hand stung fiercely from the force of the blow. A gigantic red mark blossomed immediately on Kaiba's left cheek. Slowly - achingly slowly - the brunet raised his hand to his cheek and gingerly touched the abused flesh. His eyes flicked over to the pharaoh, and Yami was relieved to see indignation flash in their depths.

"I beat him, Yugi." Kaiba's voice was low and almost gentle.

"Kaiba, we don't have time for this. We have to get the fuck out of dodge!"

"You don't understand. I beat him. I beat my step father. I beat the only skeleton left in my closet. He will never haunt me again."

"That's positively smashing, sweetheart, but I swear to God if I have to throw you over my shoulder like a fucking girl and haul you away from here, _I will fucking do it!_"

The idea of being carried in such an ignominious fashion seemed to wake Kaiba from his stupor. He looked at Yami - really looked at him - and a stunned mist cleared from his eyes.

"Which way?"

"Follow me."

They ran like neither man had ever run in their lives. Hounds from Hell might have been licking at their heels with tongues of fire, and they wouldn't have noticed. They ran until every breath they drew tasted like the tang of ozone and lightning. They ran until it felt like every layer of skin on their feet had been rubbed raw and bloody. They ran until their eyes danced with eerie red spots and their flesh was so hot it felt cold.

Against every law of probability in their orderly universe, they made it to the gateway to the real world with an entire minute to spare.

Yami's legs threatened to collapse beneath him as he gripped the railing next to the exit platform. He would die laughing at the irony if he collapsed here so close to freedom and safety. It was everything he could do to pull oxygen into his lungs in great draughts; he couldn't get enough. Kaiba was doubled over next to him, his face marred with a look of mixed panic and relief that undoubtedly mirrored the Egyptian's.

Miraculously, the CEO managed to draw breath enough to speak. "It was stupid of you to come back to find me. You should have gotten to safety when you had the chance."

"You know me," Yami wheezed, unable to calm his pounding heart, "I can't resist a fair damsel in distress."

A robotic female voice announced that they had only thirty seconds left.

Yami took a step forward and nearly collapsed again. Three stairs. That was all that lay between himself and freedom. Surely he could accomplish this small feat. His legs begged to differ. His muscles weren't just burning, they were consumed with an all-encompassing, cosmic fire that threatened to eat his sinew alive. Just as cold panic truly began to set in, he felt an arm slip around his shoulders. Kaiba, barely able to stand on his own, was attempting to support Yami's weight as well. The uncharacteristically compassionate act was enough to give the Egyptian the final burst of strength he needed. His lifted his foot to the first step. Then another. Then another. Clutching each other for dear life, the two men made it to the platform with ten seconds left.

"Yugi," Kaiba breathed, his eyes clouding over with exhaustion, "I… I don't…"

"Me neither," Yami whispered. He leaned forward and locked their lips together. The adrenaline pumping through their veins made the kiss feel electric, like sparks flying against their skin. Tongues collided and tangled, and two sets of hands gripped desperately to hair, skin, and clothing. Even as their bodies were translated into binary and transported back to reality, that kiss lingered in every atom of their existence.

…

**The Abyss**

"_Yami."_

_That single word seemed to echo into infinity, growing smaller and smaller like a planet thrown from its orbit into the limitless black of space. _

"_Yami."_

_He tried to open his mouth to answer, but he couldn't. He couldn't feel his mouth, couldn't find it. He could barely remember what a mouth even was. _

"_You have to stay awake, Yami. I can't keep you here if you don't stay awake." _

_All he wanted to do was sleep. Sleep for a thousand years. He was more tired than he had ever been in his life. The voice kept nagging at him, though. How did the voice know his name? Why wasn't his body sore from all the running? Why had he been running in the first place? He couldn't remember. Everything was foggy. _

"_Yami, you have an important decision to make, and you have precious few minutes to make it. I can't maintain us here forever. It's a small miracle that our data hasn't been lost already."_

"…_data…" Yami meant to say the word aloud, but it didn't feel as if he'd said it. It didn't feel… at all. Nothing felt. He wasn't making sense, but there weren't any words…_

"_Yami… you were too late." _

_He knew those words were supposed to mean something important, but he couldn't remember what._

"_You managed to do what I asked you to do: you saved Kaiba. He's fine and waking up with the others as we speak. Yugi is fine as well. But… they both have bodies of their own. Natural bodies that they were born into. The bond between the soul and its true vessel is strong enough to combat an experience like the one you all just went through. You, however, are just a lingering spirit in an old puzzle."_

"_I don't understand." He couldn't imagine these words were coming from him, but the voice seemed to hear him. He realized now that the voice sounded familiar. "The puzzle protects me, and it protects Yugi."_

"_Yes, but magic and technology have never played nice with one another. You were just a fraction of a second too late. All those with birth-to-death bonds to their bodies were able to return, but you had no such bond. Your mind didn't make it back into Yugi's body."_

_Coldness seeped into him, but it wasn't something he could really feel. He didn't know how else to describe it without a physical link to the sensation, but he recognized it for what it was._

"_Am I dead?"_

"_Not yet. Your mind is still a chunk of data in cyber space. My world had enough power in its backup generators to maintain us for a few minutes after detonation, but that will soon be drained. In the meantime, we can act."_

"_Am I going to die?"_

"_That is for you to decide, Yami."_

_Confusion. Remorse. Disbelief. Confusion. _

"_I developed some highly controversial technology when I was younger, before I became disillusioned with my step brother and the discoveries he'd made. It's based loosely on the holograms that Kaiba Corporation produces, but on a much larger scale."_

"_How can holograms keep me from dying?" _

"_They can't, but something very similar can. I discovered the impossible: a way to create holograms that could be touched. I don't mean the ones my brother uses: those simply convince you that you're touching something by stimulating parts of your memory. You drink his virtual orange juice and taste orange juice because it activates the part of your brain that always knows what orange juice tastes like." _

"_You're making me thirsty." _

"_Now is really not the time, Yami. What I'm saying is I discovered a way to modify the very behavior of the light that creates my step brother's holograms. When you break it all down, everything is made of the same thing: atoms. Your body, the air, the water, and the sky are all made of atoms. The universe is nothing but a giant mass of atoms that are all constantly touching and mingling with each other. Atoms interact with photons in a peculiar way, and I managed to discover a method of forcing the two out of their natural behavior with one another. To put it simply: I created a system that matched every photon with a sister atom. I got them to bond. In this way, holograms can become real as they never were before. My father considered it playing God, taking a step into a frightening direction. It is precisely that - a monstrosity at best - but it's your only means of salvation." _

"_I'm not sure I know what you're trying to tell me."_

"_I'm telling you that with the last of my power I can give you a body."_

_Yami was stunned into silence._

_The voice continued, "I've had the program ready since I was just a child. I can employ it now and bind the data from your mind to it. You will have your own body, a real one that can touch and taste and smell and hear and see. You will age as all other humans, you will eat, you will breathe, you will sleep, and you will dream. Disease will be unable to touch you, but you could still die by accident or man's design. If you manage to avoid disaster, the program is set to expire after a lifetime has passed, and you will die naturally in your sleep. You can live out a normal life as a pseudo-normal human."_

_Another stunned silence followed. Yami had to be dreaming._

"_That… can't be possible."_

"_It is."_

_More stunned silence._

"_Why aren't you using this technology to save yourself?"_

"_Quite simply, I have nothing to live for. I've wasted away in this virtual universe for so long, I don't remember what it's like to be human. You, however, have something worth fighting for."_

"_What happens if I refuse?"_

"_In less than a minute, the last of the generator's power will be gone, and our data will be lost forever. Our minds will disappear. Yugi will be left alone, and you will never see any of your friends again." _

"_I can't possibly make a decision like this in such a short amount of time."_

"_When you remove all of the specifics it's really quite simple: live or die. You have thirty seconds to decide." _

_Yami knew the choice he would obviously make, but its consequences were almost too much to bear. A real body. A life of his own. It was… impossible. His thoughts drifted to little Yugi. He could touch his dear friend and thank him with his own voice for all that he had given him. He could feel all five of his sense fully, without Yugi's consciousness to blur them. He could… be with... He didn't dare finish the thought. It was impossible, and as a result, there was no harm in accepting. _

"_I accept."_

"_Just in the nick of time. You seem to enjoy cutting it close, pharaoh."_

"_How do you know my na-?"_

Silence.

…

**Return to Battle City**

"Is everyone alright?"

"Where are we?"

"What happened?"

"Oh God, I have to piss so bad!"

"Joey, that's disgusting."

"Yugi, how are you feeling?"

"Did we miss anyone?"

The voices around him sounded like a dozen simultaneous thunderstorms they were so loud. Yami reached up and covered his ears, wishing he could just go back to sleep.

He froze.

Ears.

His fingers slid along the ridges and curves of… ears. He could feel the touch from both ends: the ear being stroked by the finger and the finger stroking the ear. Fingers. Arms. Legs.

An entire body of sensations.

Yami shot up in his virtual simulation pod and opened his amethyst eyes for the first time. At first, nothing made sense to him: the world was a mess of colors and shapes and acid-trip fantasy. He blinked, and the colors combined with the shapes to form patterns. He blinked again, and the patterns suddenly had depth. He blinked a third time, and he could distinguish the shapes from each other. They were people, faces he recognized: his friends. They were in some form of large metal chamber, each clambering awkwardly out of their own pod.

He froze as one very unexpected person struggled to remove himself from a pod that was almost as tall as he was. Spiky hair. Purple eyes. Short stature. Kind, smiling face. Yami's eyes widened: it was _Yugi. _This wasn't the way he was used to seeing Yugi. He saw him almost exclusively through reflections in mirrors, as any normal person sees themself. It was… incomprehensible to see him from the perspective of an outsider.

Yami stretched his hands out in front of his face. He had ten long fingers that tapered to almost delicate rounded points, each topped with a glossy fingernail. He made a fist and watched tendons pop up under his skin. His long legs were splayed out in front of him, clothed in black pants and studded boots. He touched his hands lightly to his face: high cheekbones, full lips, soft skin, the almond shape of two eyes, the protrusion of a nose, and thick hair that shot wildly up.

He could hardly breathe, he was so overwhelmed.

Before Yami could even begin to process it, the room went silent. He glanced up. It took his eyes a moment to once again translate the sensory input into a room full of people. He wasn't accustomed to seeing things for himself, after all. Half a dozen eyes were locked onto him, each brimming with confusion and disbelief. For a long moment, no one in the room said anything. No one stirred. They didn't even appear to breathe. Then, finally, Yugi took a hesitant step forward.

"Yami?" His voice was so quiet, the pharaoh almost couldn't hear him. The little one looked afraid of his own question, and it broke the former spirit's heart.

"It's me, little one," Yami breathed. Having someone else acknowledge his presence made reality start to sink in. He truly had a body of his own.

"How…?" Yugi trailed off, his already large eyes popping open even further. "How is this _possible?_"

"Noah," Yami responded. His voice cracked on the second vowel. He was accustomed to using Yugi's vocal cords, not… his _own._ "Noah did this. I can't explain how, but… it's really me."

"This is FUCKING FREAKY!" Joey suddenly screeched, startling the entire room. "HOW THE FUCK DID YAMI GET HIS OWN BODY? HOW DO WE KNOW THIS ISN'T SOME KIND OF TRICK BY NOAH?"

"Quiet down, Joey," Yami seethed, rubbing his temples. He could already feel a headache coming on; somehow, the thought of having his first headache delighted him. "What good would it do Noah to trick us now? He's dead, his world is destroyed, and he has no means collecting whatever he could gain from giving me my own body."

"THAT'S WHAT HE WANTS US TO THINK!"

"Joey, seriously, stop screaming," Tea scolded. "You're being obnoxious."

Joey growled but didn't speak further. His brown eyes were locked onto Yami and narrowed into mistrustful slits. Tristan and Duke were standing tensely at his side, looking as if they were itching to start a fight. The situation desperately needed to be diffused. Luckily, Yugi was one step ahead. He approached the pharaoh hesitantly, his eyes never leaving Yami's face. The little one reached a hand out, his palm facing upwards. He was offering to help Yami up. The Egyptian accepted his hand with a small smile and shakily pulled himself out of the pod and onto the first steps he'd ever taken on his own.

Yugi's unblinking gaze would have been unnerving had it not softened a moment later. "It's really him, guys."

"How do you know?" Tristan asked gruffly.

"I just… know. Yami and I shared a single body for too long for me not to recognize him."

Joey crossed his arms and sneered. "You're stupidly naïve at times, Yugi. No offense."

"Here, I'll prove it to you guys." Yugi turned to Yami and smiled. "What monster card did Pegasus use in our shadow duel to try and finish us in just two turns?"

"Jigen Bakudan," Yami answered immediately. "After two turns, it detonates and destroys all monsters on its side of the field. We used the Mystic Box magic card to switch the position of the bomb with our Dark Magician."

Yugi nodded, his smile growing. He looked over at his friends. "We were locked inside the Shadow Realm at the time, so there's no way that anyone but Pegasus or Yami could know that. Not even you guys saw the last few moves of that duel."

Tristan, Joey, Duke, Tea, and Serenity all exchanged uncertain looks. They wanted to trust Yugi, and Yami had indeed provided information that even they didn't have, but it was just so…

"Bizarre," Tea murmured. Her blue eyes searched Yami's face. "What… _are_ you?"

"A hologram of sorts, I think." Yami frowned and tried to remember what Noah had told him. It all seemed so fuzzy now. "A hologram that feels real and will eventually die… Noah said I was just barely too late to make it into Yugi's body but that he could save me. Something about photons and sister atoms..."

Silence followed. No one knew exactly what to say. The truth of the situation hadn't fully dawned on anyone yet, the pharaoh included.

As if to break the awkward silence, they heard a metallic click and a loud _whoosh _of escaping air. Two more virtual simulation pods on the far wall were opening. Yami had a sneaking suspicion he knew who they contained. Sure enough, a moment later Mokuba's head poked out from inside the right pod. He looked groggy but otherwise unharmed. Next came the beautiful head of Seto Kaiba: every lovely lock of hair still perfectly in place. He was scowling and looked ready to strangle the first person he laid eyes on.

Unfortunately, that person was Yami. The Egyptian watched closely as those familiar blue eyes took in the sight of his face and then narrowed slightly, as if they couldn't quite process what they were seeing. They slid over the faces of the people next to him: starting with Tea, then Joey, Tristan, Duke, and Serenity. Finally, they dipped lower and settled on Yugi. Kaiba started to look away, but then he executed the most proverbial double-take Yami had ever seen. His pupils contracted, and his mouth drew into a tight, thin line. His eyes darted to Yami, then down to Yugi, then back up to Yami in rapid succession. The Egyptian could practically hear the gears clicking away in the other man's brain. There were two Yugis now, nearly identical to each other and yet entirely different. One of them was clearly the Yugi that Kaiba went to school with and did his best to ignore when he felt like talking about friendship. The other was the Yugi he only saw when there were games afoot, the one he'd been defeated by time and time again… the one he'd kissed.

Yami kept his face neutral. He couldn't let on that his heart was fluttering wildly in his chest like a caged bird. The rhythm felt so strange, like every other sensation he experienced with his new body. Kaiba's face paled. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but instead his lips merely hung slightly open.

Mokuba scrambled out of his pod and walked cautiously closer, staring curiously up at Yami. "Who are you and why do you look just like Yugi?"

"I am Yami," the pharaoh answered. "It would be more appropriate to say Yugi looks like me, as I was technically born first."

Mokuba's jaw dropped comically open, but he didn't speak further. He glanced over his shoulder at his big brother, as if he expected him to supply an explanation. The CEO climbed liquidly out of his pod and brushed imaginary dust from his clothing. His face had returned to its usual stony scowl. He seemed fully prepared to act like nothing strange was going on at all, as per usual.

"Now that we're finished with that little field trip," Kaiba snarled, "we will head back to my blimp and continue the tournament on my island."

"Kaiba, aren't you curious about the new addition to our dueling family?" Joey asked, his voice heavy with sarcasm. Yugi's friends knew Kaiba well enough to know he would disregard any abnormal happenings, even ones as obvious as the appearance of a Yugi clone. What they didn't know was that Kaiba's actions were filling Yami's stomach with cold lead.

The brunet shot the blond a glare so poisonous, Joey physically blanched. "Come on, Mokuba, let's get back to the blimp."

"But Seto, who is that m-?"

"I said _come on_, Mokuba." Kaiba's voice snapped like dripping serpents' fangs. Even if his little brother wanted to argue, there was literally no way he could.

Yami couldn't take it anymore. He strode across the room, wobbling at first but growing stronger with every step. Kaiba tensed when he heard footsteps behind him. The Egyptian grabbed the taller man's shoulder and spun him around. He almost took a step back the moment he saw Kaiba's face. Every feature had darkened with tightly-coiled rage. It was unlike anything the pharaoh had ever seen from the other man before.

Yami frowned. It was natural for the brunet to be shocked, but… they had just kissed each other not thirty minutes ago after escaping from almost certain death. He supposed it was silly of him to expect anything from the brunet, especially gratitude. "Kaiba… you already know who I am. Why are you trying to deny it?"

"I have never seen you before in my life," the brunet hissed. The sound chilled the Egyptian to the bone. "I refuse to be taken in by Yugi's stupid head games. He's trying to throw me off my game so he can beat me in the tournament, and it's not going to work." His icy gaze flickered over to the hand Yami still had on his shoulder. "_Never_ touch me again."

The pharaoh let his hand fall limply to his side. Kaiba glared at him as if he were the most despicable, disgusting creature that had ever dared to crawl near him. He looked like he wished Yami would disappear, simply disintegrate right there and leave not a trace behind. Without another word, the brunet whirled around and left the room with Mokuba hot on his heels.

Heavy silence hung in the air after them. Yugi and his friends didn't completely understand Kaiba's rage, but then they didn't really understand anything that had transpired in the past few minutes.

Yami felt as if he were rooted to the spot. His lovely purple eyes gazed lifelessly forward, unseeing and unblinking. Kaiba's words rang eerily in his head: _I have never seen you before in my life… Never touch me again._

Though he could feel warm blood in his veins and a young heart beating in his chest, Yami had never before felt so… cold.

…

…

**Author's Note**: I'm an evil bitch, I know. The good news is, I update all the fucking time, so you won't have to wait long to see what happens next ;). Review me, and I might just be able to pump out another chapter in a day or so.

Here's another rule from our Yu-gi-oh the movie drinking game:

**Rule Number Four: **Take a shot any time Kaiba somehow refuses to see something that is blatantly happening right in front of him simply because it involves magic. Also know as the "la la la I can't heeeeeear you" rule.

(that's one of the funniest rules, but I realize it might be a little sad because of the chapter you guys just read. Sorry XD)


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:** I was planning on having another chapter worth of plot here (oh lord, if you guys only knew how much ground I have to cover still) but I figured you guys have waited long enough for your sexy time, especially considering how badly I teased you with chapter three. That means it's finally going to happen. ;) Thanks so much to everyone who picked out funny lines in my last chapter XD. A lot of your choices were pleasantly surprising, and I'm so glad all my subtle nuances are appreciated. You guys rock my world! I especially want to throw out some thanks to** Shadow Vampiress** and **Tru Mel Meiko Mei Ling**, whom I am now proud to call friends. They're both talented story tellers that I highly recommend.

Side note: You guys absolutely have to listen to the song Don't Stop by Innerpartysystem (if you haven't already. It was on the radio for a bit). That song is so Seto Kaiba, it's uncanny. Seriously. Listen to it and tell me if I'm as right as I know I am. Yes, I realize this has nothing to do with anything. I make so many side notes, ha ha. I swear, I could write volumes digressing on digression. But back on topic, pretty much every line in that song sounds like it was written by Kaiba himself, especially the second verse. It's so crazy.

**Warning: **For the love of God, if you don't want to read about two males fucking the life out of each other, DO NOT continue with this chapter. Hell, forget this entire fic even exists. Don't say I didn't warn you. ;)

This fic is dedicated to **Gunslinger, Teal, and Dyan.** I adore you girls. ;) By the way, Teal is on here as RevolutionnaireRouge if anyone wants to check out her stuff. She's basically a literary genius.

…

…

**Present Day**

The top half of an enormous stark white mansion loomed over the distant trees like a beacon in the night. It resembled a museum from a distance: clean, cold, and sterilized. It was Kaiba's home, and the sight of it alone was enough to make Yami's heart skip a beat. His body was still tingling from the teaser he'd received in the driver's seat, and he was aching for more. The blue-eyed teen seemed to feel the same way, since the already speeding car accelerated at an alarming rate the second the mansion came into view.

"Eager to get home, sweetheart?"

"Something like that."

"I imagine you have a lot of work to do," Yami said, practically purring the words in a way that he knew drove his soon-to-be-lover crazy, "being such a busy man and all."

He didn't have to look to know Kaiba was smirking again. "That's an accurate description in more ways than one."

They hit a red brick driveway and zoomed up to an ornate metal gate with a golden Kaiba Corporation insignia in the center. The entirety of the property was enclosed by a thick brick wall covered in ivy, making it impossible to see anything but the top of the mansion and the road beyond the gate. A red light blinked on the dashboard, and a matching light flashed from a black box attached to the left side of the wall. A second later, the gate swung open on its own, and they sped through.

The brick road was lined on either side with Japanese flowering cherry trees illuminated by bright blue flood lights. They were undoubtedly stunning in the spring time. More spots of light stood out in the dark, shinning on a fountain here or a statue there, and even a large pond on the shore of which Yami swore he saw a swan preening itself. Little pinpricks of light stretched far into the darkness, suggesting that the grounds went on for miles. Yami resolved to get a better look in the morning. He was positive he would find at least one statue of a Blue-Eyes White Dragon; he'd willingly bet money on it.

They reached a roundabout in front of the mansion, in the center of which were rose bushes bursting with the whitest, fullest flowers Yami had ever seen. It looked like a layer of snow covered every bush from top to bottom. Kaiba parked before a dozen white marble steps leading up to a massive front door. He left his keys in the ignition, and the pharaoh could only assume a valet was going to move the car for him. The CEO reached into the backseat and tossed Yami his shirt while grabbing his own belt. He opened his door, and the second he did, the delicate perfume of hundreds of roses filled the car. Yami breathed deeply and closed his eyes. He was already drunk off the musky smell of sex and sweat, and the roses only made the effect more intoxicating.

He opened his eyes and saw Kaiba watching him with an unreadable expression. Yami looked down, feeling as though he'd been caught doing something embarrassing. "You might want to button your shirt, sweetheart. The neighbors will gossip."

"I don't have any neighbors within a ten mile radius." Despite his protest, the brunet did indeed button his shirt and comb his fingers through his sex-mussed hair. He looked decent, but there was really no fixing the damage from fooling around in a cramped front seat. The Egyptian stepped out of the car and pulled his shirt over his head but otherwise failed to groom himself; he was going to look messy no matter what he did. He liked to think it was part of his charm.

Now that they were closer, the pharaoh took his time studying Kaiba's home: there was one large main building that had at least six stories and several other smaller ones off to the side. They were all the same shade of stark white with jet black roofing and window trim. The only flower bushes in sight were the white roses, and all other foliage was immaculately trimmed and flower-free. Each building had dozens of long windows and balconies. Had they not been designed with more modern shapes, the buildings could have been parts of a prosperous plantation house. They had a touch of old southern charm: vine-covered lattices, crown molding, sculpted archways, and smooth pillars.

Just as Yami had guessed, a man in a black suit appeared from seemingly nowhere, bowed to Kaiba, and then climbed into the driver's seat of the car. The roundabout split off into several side paths that were undoubtedly the quickest way to reach other parts of the gigantic mansion. The driver chose one, and off in the distance, a garage door slid open in a medium-sized building. Yami could make out the shapes of similar flashy vehicles in an array of glossy colors just inside the door.

He stretched his arms leisurely above his spiky head. "I bet there are more foreign names in that garage than there were at the Yalta Conference."

"I hope you're proud of yourself for making such a pretentious joke."

"Oh, trust me, I am."

Kaiba rolled his eyes but didn't respond. He adjusted the lapels on his stunning blue coat and then slipped his belt back on.

"You shouldn't have bothered," Yami drawled, licking his lips. "I'm just going to rip it off again in a few minutes."

The blue-eyed teen diplomatically chose to ignore him and started towards the front door. Without the car between them, Yami wasn't sure how much distance he should maintain between himself and the other man. He chuckled silently at the idea of trying to hold Kaiba's hand while they walked. At the top of the stairs there was a large wrap-around veranda complete with wicker benches, chairs, tables, and even a swing at the far end. The Egyptian was honestly surprised at how comfortable the porch looked. He could perfectly imagine himself sitting on the swing and watching golden sunsets filter through the trees.

As if triggered by some invisible cue, the ornate front doors opened and revealed the true _pièce de résistance_. The first thing Yami noticed was the most exquisite chandelier he had ever seen. It must have been fifteen feet in length - shaped into an asymmetrical double helix - and held a hundred lit candles at least, the light of which glinted through tiny iridescent crystals that dripped from dozens of hair-thin wires. He wanted a closer look, but the roof was so high, he wondered how anyone had ever installed a chandelier in the first place. The domed ceiling sloped elegantly down to walls draped in ivory sik and covered in paintings of landscapes. The two duelists were standing in an entrance hall that was easily the size of the bar Yami had left, and the room beyond it could have been a ballroom.

Two arcing staircases split off along the walls of the ballroom to an indoor balcony and a series of doors. Below the staircases were more doors that probably led to other ballroom-like chambers. The furniture was made from dark, glossy wood, and the sofas and chair cushions were covered in even darker gold fabric. If Yami had to guess, he'd say it was satin. The same white roses from outside adorned glittering crystal vases atop nearly every table. Two butlers in suits stood near the doorway, and they bowed as soon as they saw their employer. Kaiba wordlessly walked past them and into the ballroom, which Yami supposed was the CEO's interpretation of a foyer.

"Big brother!" a voice called from the balcony overlooking the room. The Egyptian glanced up and saw Mokuba standing in one of the now-open doorways, giving him a glimpse of an immense library behind him. The black-haired boy took the stairs two at a time, his face split into a wide grin. "I was beginning to think you weren't going to come home tonight."

"Why are you still awake? You have school in the morning." Kaiba's words were harsh, but his tone was laced with affection.

Mokuba raced up to his brother and hugged him, his head barely reaching to the brunet's chest. "I wanted to make sure you got home okay. You had a really serious look on your face when you left."

"I didn't know he was capable of looking any other way," Yami chuckled.

Mokuba turned to him and gave him a perplexed look. "Yami? What are you doing here?"

"Your brother and I have someone we need to do. Sorry, some_thing_ to do, that is. He's come across a very _hard_ - excuse me, _difficult_ - problem that I'm going to help him _come _to terms with." It was all Yami could do to keep from giggling like a school boy at the look on Kaiba's face as he said this. The brunet was glaring daggers at him and appeared to be fighting the urge to cover his little brother's ears.

Mokuba, however, didn't seem to think there was anything strange about Yami's "accidental" slip of the tongue. "Oh. Well, as long as he's in good hands, I'll be heading to bed."

Yami snorted at the younger Kaiba's word choice but restrained himself from comment. Mokuba gave his brother another hug and then skipped back up the stairs. The CEO was still glaring at Yami, but he pretended not to notice as he looked around the room again. So far the mansion seemed like something out of a fairy tale, but it didn't quite fit the mental image he'd formed of somewhere the brunet would live. Then again, he supposed it was impossible to live inside a computer.

Kaiba must have sensed his confusion, because after he finished glaring, he said, "This is Mokuba's wing of the house. He designed it himself. Mine is through there." He indicated a set of thick mahogany doors on the far wall of the ballroom.

"Exactly how many wings does this place have?"

"You don't want to know."

Kaiba started across the room, and the pharaoh followed, trying not to stare around him like a bumbling tourist. Beyond the doors lay a dark corridor, at the end of which was a metal door with a keypad. Kaiba punched another code into it, and the entrance slid open with a quiet _whoosh._

"Do your staff members have the code?"

"Only the ones I trust."

"You are one paranoid son of a bitch."

The two teens entered a large parlor that instantly reminded Yami of Kaiba's room on his blimp. The walls were covered in dark red wallpaper with black fleur de lys, and the floor was smoky gray carpet. There were no windows, but there were several doors, including a hatch in the ceiling that could only be reached by an iron spiral staircase in the left back corner. The furniture was all black leather and tinted glass, and the only light came from long red lanterns with Chinese dragons painted on them. It was like walking from Cinderella's castle into the evil stepmother's dungeon. It was comfortable, though, and Yami could imagine curling up in one of the big couches with a cigar and a glass of scotch.

"What's up there?" Yami asked, pointing to the top of the staircase.

"My bedroom."

The Egyptian felt a twinge of interest between his legs. So close, yet so far. He thought he saw Kaiba grin, but it was gone so quickly he couldn't be certain. The CEO loosened the silk tie around his neck and rolled up his sleeves, looking like any other business man after a long day despite his young age. He walked over to what appeared to be an ordinary abstract painting and depressed part of the frame. The canvas slid away and revealed a liquor cabinet lit with warm red light. He pulled a crystal decanter out of it and poured a measure of dark amber liquid into a matching tumbler. He took a sip and then pressed the frame again; the painting slid innocently back into place.

Yami walked over to one of the couches and sank into it. "Thanks for offering me some, sweetheart."

"You've had plenty already."

The Egyptian was feeling quite sober at this point, but he knew better than to argue. He crossed his legs and leaned his head back. "I hope you don't have many vegetarian friends. It took a lot of innocent cows to make this couch."

"I don't have many friends period, as you know."

Yami couldn't help himself. He grinned slyly and asked, "Am I your friend?"

Kaiba grimaced and took another swig of his drink. "No."

"You're right. Fuck buddy would be a more appropriate term."

"I'm beginning to think you enjoy irritating me."

"Not when you make it so easy."

Kaiba drained the last of his glass and set it down on a side table. He folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the wall behind him, his icy eyes locked onto Yami. The Egyptian attempted to ignore the silent scrutiny, but after a full minute it began to unnerve him.

"So, sweetheart, what would you like to do with the rest of our evening?" He let a suggestive tone creep into his voice. "You seem like the board game type to me. We could have a rousing Scrabble match. We could even invite some of your maids and make an event out of it."

"Shut up, _snookums._"

Yami smiled pleasantly. This was the part of the game he loved the most. He could feel the sexual tension humming in the air as easily as Kaiba could. They were finally alone behind a locked door and with a bedroom mere feet away. Who was going to crack first? The Egyptian let his head fall back against the couch and folded his hands over his flat stomach. He could afford to wait, no matter how loudly his body was screaming at him to jump Kaiba. The man had brought him all the way to his home - out of his comfort zone - and he was going to have to be the one to make the first move.

A few quiet minutes passed, and the Egyptian began to believe they would be locked in this stalemate for eternity.

"Come here." The quiet words almost startled Yami. He opened his eyes and saw that the brunet hadn't moved one inch, but his body language had completely changed. His stance was more fluid now, more demanding. Yami obligingly got up and sauntered over to a spot about ten feet away from the other man.

Kaiba's lips twitched up. "Closer."

Yami took a single step closer, grinning coyly. "Is that better?"

"Not quite." The taller man's voice dropped into a low, seductive rumble. "I said come closer."

Yami felt goosebumps tickle the nape of his neck. There was something in the other man's voice that went straight between his legs. "You are so controlling." He stepped forward again, and the air between their bodies vibrated with palpable energy. One last step brought him nearly chest to chest with Kaiba.

He tilted his chin up and studied the blue eyes boring into him like sapphire drills. Kaiba looked even more beautiful in the semi-darkness, the warm light bringing out pearly tints in his skin. "Close enough?"

"It's never enough." The brunet slipped an arm around Yami's waist and crushed their bodies together. The pharaoh immediately felt a wave of heat flood through him, and he gasped. Kaiba stifled the sound by pressing their mouths hungrily together, his tongue slipping past Yami's already-parted lips. The pharaoh returned the kiss as eagerly as he could; he felt like he was drowning in heat. With a single kiss, the brunet had managed to reduce any semblance of coherent thought in his entire millennia-old mind to something vaguely akin to _Whuuuuuuuuuu._

The arm around his waist gripped him tighter, bringing their bodies closer than he'd ever thought possible. He concentrated on moving his lips and tongue in tandem with Kaiba's; it was literally all his overwhelmed brain could manage at the moment. God it felt good to be kissed like this, to be laved with so much simmering attention. He could only imagine how those silky lips would feel on the rest of his body…

Right on cue, long fingers raked through his hair and grabbed a fistful. Kaiba yanked his head back, exposing a creamy expanse of neck. Yami shivered, feeling dangerously vulnerable. His self preservation instincts were screaming, alerting him to the presence of a predator, and he loved every minute of it. The brunet kissed a hot line from his lips to his jaw to his neck and paused where his pulse jumped frantically just beneath his skin. The brunet's tongue swirled over the pulse before following it down to dip into the indent made by the pharaoh's collarbone. Yami was visibly shaking at this point, and he fisted his hands in the other man's clothes for support. His fingers found Kaiba's silk tie, and he used it to pull the man's head down harder.

The brunet began licking hot circles on small sections of skin and nibbling on them, working his way slowly back up Yami's neck to his ears. Kaiba traced the outer curve of his ear ever-so-lightly with his tongue, his warm breath making the smaller man squirm against him in a most delicious manner. When the brunet sucked Yami's earlobe into his mouth and bit down, it was all he could do to keep from collapsing right there. He dug his fingers into Kaiba's chest and felt the vibrations of a low growl against his ear in response. He needed something to remind him that this wasn't some kind of obscene dream.

"You seem like you're enjoying yourself," Kaiba murmured against his ear. He gave his hair another harsh tug, and Yami quivered again. "I can't wait to hear that beautiful voice of yours scream my name." The brunet abandoned his ear and bit down hard on the junction between his shoulder and neck.

"Ahh, Kaiba!" Yami couldn't stand it anymore. He was so hard he felt like he was going to explode - literally - and he could feel Kaiba's matching erection pressing into his hip. He wanted the taller man in a bad way, and he wanted him _now._ Yami slid his hands from the brunet's chest up to his shoulders and then down his arms, taking his dark blue jacket off in one fluid motion. He started on his shirt next, flicking the buttons open one by one with just his thumb and forefinger. Kaiba pulled back from his neck to observe the pharaoh's slow journey down his chest, and Yami leaned forward to press their lips just barely together: touching but not quite touching and the most teasing, distracting brush of flesh to flesh that had ever occurred. The CEO seemed like he couldn't choose between the desire to kiss him and the desire to watch his clothing being sensuously removed. Their mouths hung in tantalizing limbo while nimble fingers worked their magic. With every inch of creamy muscle and sinew that was revealed, Yami felt his heart beat a little faster. As soon as it was open, he slid the shirt off as well to join the jacket in a puddle of fabric on the floor. The tie was next, but he stuffed that into the back pocket of his jeans. It could come in handy.

His hands wasted no time in exploring Kaiba's chest, sliding over the firm plane of his abdominals and up to his broad shoulders, all the while their lips remained just a hair's breadth apart. He pressed his right palm roughly against one of the taller man's nipples and delighted in the hiss of pleasure that tickled his lips in response. The brunet grabbed two fistfuls of Yami's black sleeveless shirt and yanked, effectively ripping it from his back. The action was so laden with barely-concealed violence, Yami had to bite back a moan.

"Good thing I didn't like that shirt."

"You look better without it."

Kaiba let the shreds of shirt fall to the floor and then slid his hands down, down, down the smaller man's bare chest. Yami was quivering with anticipation by the time the brunet reached his two belts. He made quick work of both buckles but only tossed one belt aside, leaving the other looped in Yami's jeans.

The Egyptian raised an eyebrow, and Kaiba smirked. "We're going to need that later." The purple-eyed teen was beginning to forget what oxygen was.

Kaiba placed two fingers carefully in the center of Yami's chest and pushed, guiding him back towards the couch. It hit the back of the Egyptian's knees, forcing him to sit down. For a second, he expected the CEO to straddle him, but then something unimaginably delicious happened. Kaiba sank to his knees on the floor and reached for the button on Yami's jeans. The Egyptian could hardly believe it. Kaiba did not seem like the dick-sucking type, but he wasn't about to complain. In a skillful whirl that suggested this was not the CEO's first time, he unbuttoned the jeans, unzipped them, and slid them to his knees along with his cotton boxers. Yami was now almost completely naked except for the black collar around his neck. The way Kaiba was looking at him made him feel once again like helpless prey. It wasn't a bad feeling at all.

The brunet smirked and raked his nails up the other man's thigh, earning a shiver in response. Yami wanted to sit back and close his eyes to help him further absorb every sensation, but he couldn't take his gaze off Kaiba. The taller man leaned forward and started nibbling, kissing, and licking his inner thigh, working his way up to where Yami really wanted to be touched. The brunet reached the pharaoh's now throbbing erection and wrapped his long fingers gently around it, teasing it. Yami bucked his hips by reflex and moaned. Kaiba responded by pushing the loose shaft skin down to reveal more of the head, and that simple motion alone made the Egyptian's whole body burn. The brunet stroked him lazily; he was obviously in no rush at all, and his eyes were locked on the pharaoh's face. He was clearly enjoying the reactions he was receiving.

Kaiba leaned forward and licked from the base of the shaft all the way up to the head, and then he blew along the trail of saliva and into the slit at the top. It was by far the most erotic thing Yami had ever seen, and his whole body was tingling already. If the other man kept it up, he wasn't going to last very long at all.

Kaiba sealed his lips around the head and suckled gently, using his tongue to work the slit and his teeth to lightly tease the ridge. All the while, his hand worked the loose skin up and down the length of the shaft, gradually gaining speed. Yami's head swam from all the different sensations, each of which flooded him with pleasure. He buried one of his hands in Kaiba's hair but knew better than to press down. The brunet could go at whatever pace he wanted, so long as he didn't stop. The Egyptian was panting wildly at this point and rocking his hips ever so slightly in rhythm with Kaiba's hand and head. Just when he thought he couldn't take another minute of this, the brunet slid his hand away and swallowed him whole. The feel of that hot, wet mouth sucking him down made Yami convulse. He threw his head back and moaned without restraint, gripping Kaiba's hair for dear life. His hips pressed up into Kaiba's face, seeking more contact. He could feel the other man's tongue tracing every vein with care, and it was sheer, exquisite torture.

The pharaoh miraculously managed to open his eyes, and when he did he saw the final stage of his torment. Kaiba was watching him with molten cobalt eyes. They were smoldering with dark blue fire that Yami could feel in his very soul, a blue so deep they were as black as sin itself. Those wicked eyes combined with the red of Kaiba's lips wrapped around him - sucking on him powerfully - and formed the most provocative image Yami had ever seen. It was better than the dirtiest pornography and the most salacious of back-alley encounters combined. Yami felt an all-encompassing force release within him, and his orgasm practically drowned him.

"Ahhhh, God, Kaiba!" He couldn't feel himself moaning, but he knew he was. His voice was so laden with lust, it sounded foreign even to him. A beast had been released: a snarling, ravenous beast that threatened to consume him in those few seconds of unbearable ecstasy.

Instead of water, his orgasm came in waves of fire, a veritable inferno between his legs that licked its way up his torso, down to his toes, into the tips of his fingers, and to the root of every strand of hair. He shuddered so violently from the force of it, he might have accidentally pulled out some of Kaiba's hair. It was burning hot perfection unlike anything he had ever imagined. He felt his seed spilling out, followed by the contraction of Kaiba's throat muscles while he eagerly drank him down. That final sensation sent spasms akin to electric shock into every nerve in his body.

Yami couldn't tell if his eyes were open or closed. He lay there in a stupor for what felt like an eternity when in actuality it might have been half a minute. To his surprise, Kaiba seemed content to kneel silently before him while he recovered. He raised a shaky hand and wiped sweat from his brow. There was nothing he could do to control his breathing except wait for it to level on its own. His eyes slid open: glazed purple went immediately to the brunet's face. Kaiba was watching him with an expression that Yami would have interpreted as affectionate satisfaction had he not known better.

The blue-eyed man smirked and licked a bead of come from the corner of his lips. "That was quick."

Yami had to take several deep breaths before he finally recovered enough for speech. "Consider it a compliment." He shuddered minutely and wondered if he was going to experience miniature orgasms periodically for the rest of his life as a result of this. "I'm not going to lie, that was both amazing and completely unexpected."

He shrugged. "It was your turn. I had mine in the car ride over."

"How uncharacteristically egalitarian of you."

"I must not have done as well as I thought if you can still use words like that."

"Contrary to popular belief, orgasms do not make you retarded." Yami exhaled sharply. "Though getting me to move right now is about as likely as getting me to recite the Canadian National Anthem. Backwards. In Russian."

Kaiba chuckled, and Yami was still too caught up in post-orgasm haze to care if he was honestly laughing or mocking him.

The brunet placed his elbows on the couch and lowered his body over the pharaoh's until their faces were inches apart. His lips parted, and he whispered softly, "You have no idea how sexy you look when you're coming."

Yami subconsciously licked his lips in response. Despite having just experienced a small atomic detonation between his legs, he only felt ready for more.

Kaiba smirked again. "I think it's about time we took this to the bedroom."

"Carry me."

"No."

Yami smiled and pushed himself out of the soft embrace of the sofa, pulling his pants up as he went. He didn't bother to button them; they were just going to come off in a minute anyways. The second he got to his feet, his knees wobbled and threatened to collapse. He only barely managed to catch himself, and it took him another moment before he could successfully take a step. Kaiba, still wearing his pants and shoes, waited patiently for the other man. Yami suspected he was enjoying watching the effects a blowjob of staggering proportions could have on the King of Games. When the smaller teen proved himself capable of basic motor functions, Kaiba led the way to the corner and up the spiraling staircase. At the wooden hatch in the ceiling, he slid a panel back to reveal another keypad, in which he entered yet another code.

"Seriously, sweetheart, your security is a bit ludicrous."

"I like my privacy."

The hatch opened, and Kaiba moved aside to allow Yami to pass him and enter first.

Just before he reached the entrance, the brunet stopped him. "Everything that is truly precious to me is in that room. Only Mokuba and I have ever stepped foot in it."

The pharaoh studied his face for a moment before nodding solemnly, acknowledging the unspoken respect that the other man was showing him by letting him enter. He would never admit it, but stepping foot into this forbidden territory was quite the turn on. It meant the brunet hadn't been fucking anyone else up here, and Yami would get to christen the room with him.

The Egyptian walked upwards into near total darkness. The only light source came from several large plasma screens on all four walls, each displaying everything from stock sales to half-watched movies. Two doors off to the left side undoubtedly led to a closet and a bathroom. There was a canopy bed in the center of the room that was draped in silk that appeared black in the dim light. A dozen pillows were scattered haphazardly across it, but the sheets and comforter had been placed, smoothed, and tucked with military precision. The other furniture was scarce: a floor-length mirror, a nightstand, and a desk upon which sat two laptops that seemed redundant with all the other giant screens in the room. Yami heard Kaiba enter behind him and turned to look over his shoulder. The CEO flicked a switch on the nearest wall, and suddenly the screens on that same wall slid down into the floor. It transformed into one giant window, from which they had a breathtaking view of the night sky, miles of stars, and the sloping green fields outside.

Silvery moonlight flooded the room, bathing its occupants in an almost otherworldly glow. Yami could feel Kaiba watching him but refused to meet his gaze. He was starting to feel a mixture of nerves and jittery tension that only heightened the mood. He heard footsteps behind him and then felt long arms wrap around his waist. Kaiba buried his face in his hair and breathed in deeply, his throat making a low rumbling sound that gave the Egyptian goosebumps.

"Come to bed." It was not a request.

Yami pressed his hips back and ground them against Kaiba. He heard the brunet growl and felt his arms clench tighter around him. Yami leaned his head back until it hit the other man's shoulder and then turned his mouth to his ear. "Make me."

Kaiba immediately grabbed a fistful of the Egyptian's hair and yanked. He gasped with mixed pain and pleasure and pressed his body harder back. Kaiba began dragging him towards the bed using nothing but his hair, and if he had not just recently orgasmed, he would have been rock hard again from that alone. The next thing he knew, he was being thrown onto a mound of pillows and dark fabric. He tried to sit up, but Kaiba pushed him forcefully back down, looming over him with half his face cast in shadow. It made him look even more like the predator Yami knew he was inside. He propped himself up on his elbows for a better view of the mouth-watering sight. The brunet unzipped his pants and slid them off, ditching his shoes in the process. The moonlight outlined the shape of his body perfectly: every smooth line and curve of muscle. Yami pulled out the tie he'd stuffed into his back pocket and tossed it onto the night stand, then started to push down his own pants. Kaiba was quicker, however; he trapped both of Yami's wrists in one of his large hands and forced them above his head. His other hand grabbed the belt that still hung loosely at his waist, slipped it out of its loops, and tossed it onto the bed.

Kaiba then slid two fingers beneath the waist of the pharaoh's jeans and boxers and slowly, _slowly_ guided them down. Yami shivered and lifted his hips to aid the process, but the brunet refused to move faster. If his wrists had not been quite securely trapped, he would have ripped his pants off in two seconds and demanded they get on with it. He couldn't see the brunet's face, but he knew Kaiba was watching him, drinking in the sight of him squirming impatiently. Even the CEO's self control had to end somewhere, however, and as soon as he had Yami's pants down to his toned thighs, he abandoned any pretense of moving slowly. The last of the Egyptian's clothing was violently torn from him, and as soon as it was gone, Kaiba crawled on top of him.

The brunet leaned down to hungrily capture his lips, slipping an arm under Yami's waist to bring their bodies closer. The pharaoh shuddered and pressed his hips up, wanting as much contact as he could get. Their naked flesh felt so good together - velvet rubbing against rich satin - it made him want to slide the length of his body along Kaiba's again and again. He settled for sliding his tongue against the other man's, massaging it as it forcefully invaded his mouth. He wrapped his arms around the broad chest on top of him and dug in his fingernails. The brunet hissed into his mouth and arched into the touch. Yami obligingly raked his nails down Kaiba's back. He hoped he'd have livid red marks there for at least a week. It was the taller man's turn to shiver as Yami rolled his hips up in a most enticing way. Kaiba wanted to draw this out, but there was no denying the molten fire pooling in the pit of his stomach. He needed to bury himself in the other man, and he needed to do it now.

Kaiba suddenly slid off the bed, ignoring Yami's growl of protest, and opened the top drawer of his nightstand. He grabbed something and tossed it onto the Egyptian's stomach before crossing his arms smugly over his chest.

Yami picked up a small silver tube with a cap and read the label. "Lube?"

"Prepare yourself." Once again, it was not a request.

Yami shivered under the force of that hungry blue gaze. "You want to watch me lube myself up? I had no idea you were such a voyeur."

Kaiba gave him a grin that was a simmering mixture of sun-kissed lust and the blackest hour of night. The Egyptian obediently unscrewed the cap, poured a generous amount of the slippery stuff on his right pointer and middle finger, and then let his hand trail slowly down his stomach. He could feel the brunet watching his hand's seductive journey. If Kaiba was going to watch him, he was sure as hell going to put on a good show.

He let the back of his hand toy over his belly button and then over the V-shaped plane between his hip bones, letting a few slick drops spill here and there. He parted his thighs to give Kaiba a better view of his hand's destination. His index finger found his puckered entrance and teased at it, spreading lube around the outer ring of muscle. He let a slow breath escape from his lips, just loud enough for the man watching him to hear. With aching slowness, he pushed his finger in up to the first knuckle, then pulled it out. Then he pushed it in again a little deeper and pulled it out again. In this manner, he inched his first finger in and out, stretching the muscles that needed stretching and giving Kaiba the most infuriating tease of his life. His moans and soft breaths started at a nearly inaudible level and grew louder as he pushed more of his finger into himself. Yami glanced up at the brunet and saw a look on his face that made all of the teasing completely worth it: every feature was darkened with barely contained lust, and his crossed arms were rigid with the effort of keeping himself from jumping the other man right then and there.

"Mmmm, Kaiba," he groaned, and he could practically hear the other man stiffen at the sound of his name. His careful control wouldn't last much longer if the pharaoh had any say in the matter.

Unexpectedly, Yami's finger brushed something that jolted his entire body with pleasure. A second later, he brushed it again and a startled moan escaped from his lips. Slowly, he eased a second finger into himself and searched for that sweet spot. When he found it, he had to grip the sheets with his free hand to keep himself from jumping, the sensation was so sharp. He rocked his fingers in and out of himself, delicately massaging that spot again and again. His hips joined in the rhythm, rolling forward when he pushed in and back when he pulled out. He clenched his eyes shut and hissed; he could feel himself getting hard again already.

He didn't forget about the man watching him, however, and he moaned for him, "Ahh, ahh, ahh, it feels good, so good, Kaiba. Do you wish you were inside me instead?"

Suddenly, he felt a hot weight pressing down on him, and he realized Kaiba was no longer content to just watch. The brunet climbed eagerly on top and pulled Yami's fingers away, trapping his wrist above his head once more; his other hand buried itself in his spiky hair. The Egyptian could feel the larger man's thick, blood-engorged erection pressing into his hip, and he shifted his body over so his own quickly-hardening dick aligned with it.

"Ahhh!" they both moaned together, burning friction shooting through them like lightning. Kaiba's fingernails dug into Yami's wrist and scalp, and the Egyptian wrapped his long legs tightly around the other man's waist. He bucked his hips forward demandingly. He wanted Kaiba to sink into him as far as he could go. The brunet seemed more than willing to comply. He let go of Yami's hair and slipped his hand under his hips, propping them up for a deeper angle. The Egyptian spread his thighs as far as they could go and tried to calm his wild breathing. Kaiba positioned himself at Yami's entrance and thrust eagerly forward, slipping past the ring of outer muscles and into the impossibly-warm tightness that was the Egyptian's body. He tried to go slowly at first, but the second he felt that smoldering embrace, he couldn't help but sink himself in to the hilt.

Kaiba groaned throatily and quickly drew his hips back to push in again. And again. Each time it was like sinking his whole body into a hot bath. "God fucking dammit, Yami," he grunted through clenched teeth, "you are so fucking tight."

Yami couldn't find words to answer him. He was drowning on dry land. He felt like his body was being split in two, and nothing had ever felt quite so delicious. It was tension that blazed and tore at him in a way he couldn't describe, and all he wanted was more. Kaiba set a rough rhythm, shoving his length in and out of the other man's body at an alarming rate. Yami threw his head back and moaned helplessly, unable to do anything but grip the sheets for dear life. His body sang with pleasure: it was exquisite harmony that pounded through his veins and plucked at his nerves like silver violin strings. He had the added bonus of Kaiba's perfect stomach muscles rubbing against his erection, giving him pleasure from two entirely separate ends. He writhed desperately, seeking more and more friction like a junkie about to hit his peak. It was addicting in a way that no powder or pill could match. The world itself might have collapsed into utter chaos, and the Egyptian wouldn't have noticed in the face of this inescapable heat.

He needed more. He needed more. He needed _more._"Ahhh, yes, Kaiba, harder!" Yami bit his lip to hold back a startled cry as the brunet more than willingly obliged. He felt teeth tearing into his neck and sharp pain-laced pleasure between his legs as the pounding double from heavy rain to a torrential downpour. He was amazed his body could contain the sheer violence of it. It should not be possible to feel so much at once without simply overloading.

Kaiba's breath was at his ear, whispering something he could barely understand through the blazing fog. "God, you feel so good. I could fuck you until I die."

There was no escape: Yami's wrists were secured beneath a steel grip, his legs were locked desperately around thrusting hips, his torso was pressed down by Kaiba's hard body, and God how he loved the feel of that warm weight on top of him. He couldn't escape if he wanted to, and he felt himself almost suffocating with the realization that he could do nothing but lay there while his body was plundered for every ounce of pleasure it could feasibly provide. Lay there and love every fucking second of it. Lay there and crave it and want it and lose himself in it. He surrendered to it completely, too overcome with pleasure to do anything but breathe and moan half-formed words and pleas for more.

Just as he honestly began to wonder if it was possible to die from sexual overload, the pounding stopped, and Yami felt Kaiba slip out of him. He opened his eyes and started to ask if something was wrong, but stopped. The brunet was holding the belt he'd taken from Yami earlier and looking at the other man like he wanted to eat him alive.

"Get on all fours," Kaiba ordered huskily. Yami shivered at the sound alone, let alone the delicious intent behind the order. He obliged, turning around to prop himself up on the palms of his hands and his knees. He spread his legs to give the brunet easier access to his entrance and looked over his shoulder expectantly.

The taller man had a little something extra planned for him, it seemed. He took the middle part of the belt and shoved it into Yami's mouth, then he pulled both ends around the sides of his face and held them in his left hand. His other hand gripped Yami's hip and pulled it closer to him. The Egyptian tried to speak, but any sounds he made were muffled by the belt. Kaiba had improvised a delightful gag and rein in one. With a sharp tug, Yami's head was forced back, exposing his milky throat and making it more difficult to breathe. Yami felt the other man slip into position behind him, and the next thing he knew, that invasive, rock-hard heat was shoving itself back into his body.

"Mmmmm!" Yami moaned against the belt, biting down on it as his whole body was rocked with pleasure. From this position, Kaiba could pound even deeper into him, and he did so, his pace faster and more furious than before. The pharaoh arched his back, lining his body up perfectly for Kaiba to fuck him senseless. His hands gripped the sheets so tightly he thought he might tear them. The brunet showed no mercy: he forced himself as deeply into the other man as he could, trying to draw out every ounce of pleasure that he could from that insane tight heat. It was exquisite and sinful and more than he'd ever imagined it would be. Kaiba yanked on the belt and relished in the muffled moan he received in response. He opened his eyes and nearly gasped at the sight before him: Yami's back glistening with sweat, his wild hair made even wilder, his lips forced apart by the belt between them, his neck craned back to accommodate Kaiba's tugging, and most importantly, Kaiba's dick buried deeply inside him. The final irresistible piece came when Yami turned his head to look at the brunet over his shoulder, his purple eyes blazing with need and begging for more. The pace Kaiba had started out with became gentle and slow compared to what he did to the pharaoh next. Even the belt couldn't muffle Yami's screams for more. The brunet felt like he was going to explode any second from the unbearable sensory overload. He could feel white hot pleasure in every inch of him, and it only grew hotter. Their voices mingled together in the air: moans, growls, gasps, names, pleas for harder, faster, more, and oh god yes…

Kaiba felt the tightening in the pit of his stomach that meant he was close. He thrust his hips faster still, in and out of the other man. Yami's moans increased in frequency in time with the pounding rhythm.

"Ahhh, yes!" Kaiba groaned. He leaned over his lover and whispered in his ear, "I'm gonna come. Ah ah ahh, I'm so close, Yami." The pharaoh growled in response and started rocking his hips furiously backwards in time with Kaiba's rhythm. The brunet gasped, too overwhelmed to form any kind of coherent sound. His whole body shook with the force of his impending orgasm. Liquid fire poured through his veins, and he swore his vision clouded with white. Just a few more seconds and he would-!

Half a second before the first contraction could start, the warmth disappeared. Kaiba's brain was too overloaded to understand at first, but the next thing he knew he was on his back, and his arms were being pulled over his head. He opened his eyes in shock, still too dazed by pre-orgasm endorphins to truly comprehend. Yami was on top of him now, and he was holding the silk tie he'd been wearing before. In just a few seconds, he'd slipped off the belt, grabbed the tie, and had switched their positions. While Kaiba was still too hormone-crazed to do anything about it, Yami used the tie to bind both of the larger man's wrists to the metal headboard. As soon as he was finished, he straddled Kaiba's hips and grinned devilishly.

A few seconds later, Kaiba caught up with the present and frowned. "What-?"

Yami took it upon himself to grab Kaiba's dick, position it at his entrance, and sink down on it, moaning as the hard length impaled him completely. The brunet hissed and pushed himself in deeper, unable to deny the incredible feeling of being inside the pharaoh. He could ask questions later.

Yami rolled his hips smoothly and leaned forward, "I want you to lose control. I want you to give in to it completely." He emphasized his point by gyrating his hips in a way that made Kaiba shudder from head to toe.

The brunet closed his eyes and thrust his hips up in time with Yami's slow rhythm. He tugged experimentally at the tie that bound his wrists and found it utterly unmovable. As much as he normally preferred the dominant position, he was still tingling from pre-orgasm need and wasn't about to complain. The Egyptian started slow, knowing that anything faster would make Kaiba come too soon. The brunet was tense under him, his eyes clenched shut and his muscles taut from the pure blazing feeling washing through him. A thin sheen of sweat covered his body, and his lovely brunet locks were matted to his forehead; he looked like a fallen angel tormented by earthly sin. Yami was enjoying the view and licked his lips when he saw a spasm of pleasure visibly course through the man beneath him. He started moving faster, rocking his hips against Kaiba's and moaning breathily. The brunet's moans joined his, and he moved with him, driving his length in harder and harder.

Yami convulsed when Kaiba found his prostate gland, and white-hot pleasure shot through him. He positioned himself so every thrust would hit that perfect spot and abandoned any hope of going slowly. He forced himself to move faster and faster, drawing his hips up only to slam them down again. His whole body was starting to burn. He could feel sweat and precum dripping down his own erection, but all he could concentrate on was that spot buried deep inside him that was driving him crazy. Kaiba opened his eyes and was mesmerized by what he saw: Yami's eyes clenched shut, his face tense with a mixture of pleasure and concentration, sweat dripping down the planes of his chest, his hands gripping Kaiba's chest for dear life, and every muscle focused on one goal: slamming himself harder and harder down on Kaiba's dick.

The brunet couldn't stand it any more. That vision of pure erotica alone was enough to make the last of his control melt away. He felt his orgasm rushing over him in waves of molten fire: he concentrated the last of his effort of pumping himself in and out of the other man as hard and fast as he could. Just as the peak of his pleasure hit and his sight clouded over in white, he was rewarded with the loudest moan of all from Yami: the pharaoh's eyes burst open but saw nothing, and Kaiba's name tore from his lips in a ragged, breathy scream. It was torture and divine: unholy and unspeakable. Pure, unadulterated everything and all kind of feeling and nothing all at once.

Yami collapsed on top of Kaiba, and they shook together, their throats nearly too sore to draw breath from screaming out their mutual pleasure. The Egyptian could feel his own seed cooling into a sticky mess on both of their stomachs, but he hardly cared. He had enough strength left to pull Kaiba's length out of himself before he gave up on movement entirely and just lay on top of the other man. The rise and fall of the chest beneath him was soothing, as was the sound of his heart beating wildly. Yami knew his own breath and heart were mimicking his lover's.

It was weird to think: they were lovers now. His brain danced with half-formed thoughts and haze. The night sky outside the wall-window was turning the smoky gray of pre-dawn. Yami didn't know how much time had passed, but neither of the two men seemed to care. They lay still while their sweat dried and their bodies hummed.

"Yami." The Egyptian raised his head an inch and looked at Kaiba. His face was calm, but his eyes were still darkened from his earlier desire. "Can you untie me now?"

Yami chuckled and reached up to loosen the tie. "That's the first time I've ever heard you ask for something instead of ordering."

"I figured I was in no position to give orders."

"That has literally never stopped you before."

As soon as Kaiba's wrists were free, he rubbed them. The tie was silk and therefore couldn't burn, but it did leave marks in his skin from where he'd strained against it.

A quiet moment passed as the boys realized they'd done what they needed to do and now had no idea how to interact with each other. Yami formed a mental image of cuddling with Kaiba after sex and had to stifle a laugh.

"What's so funny?"

"Absolutely nothing."

Kaiba frowned but didn't inquire further. Yami finally rolled off of him and stretched leisurely. Every muscle in his body felt sore, but it was a satisfying soreness that he knew he would love feeling in its entirety in the morning.

He turned his face to Kaiba and grinned. "Can I crash here, or are you kicking me out now that you're done with me?"

The brunet rolled his eyes and tossed a pillow into Yami's face before climbing under the covers. The Egyptian took that as an invitation and crawled under as well. Kaiba slept facing his window-wall, away from the other man, so Yami was able to stare at his resting form without feeling awkward. The bed smelled strongly of sex and Kaiba's cologne, and it was beyond distracting. He could easily hear the sound of the other man's deep breathing, and he wondered if he could possibly be asleep already.

Yami buried his face in his pillow and tried to get his racing thoughts to quiet down.

…

Gentle sunlight filtering through his window woke Kaiba, as it did every morning at dawn. It was one of the many pluses to his bedroom's design: he never needed an alarm clock. He always woke in plenty of time to rouse Mokuba, - who was much more reluctant to get out of bed than his older brother - prepare him for school, drink some coffee, and start getting ready for work. Today, however, he had something extra to deal with. He had to decide if he was going to attempt to get Yami out of his house without his staff - or worse, little brother - noticing, or if he was going to simply confine him to his room until he returned later that afternoon. The former seemed disgraceful for a grown man, even if he was still a teenager and in his prime years for subterfuge, but the latter seemed demeaning to Yami. As much as Kaiba was always quick to put his own interests first, he highly doubted his proud rival-turned-lover would wait docilely at the door for him to return like a faithful dog.

The CEO buried his face in one of his many goose-feather pillows, relishing the last few minutes he had left before he'd be forced to get up and deal with this mess. He didn't feel nearly as awkward waking up to another man as he'd assumed he would. He'd never had an actual lover before, being too busy building his empire to really engage in much romance. He'd had his share of scandalous encounters, but nothing that lasted more than one night or went particularly far. Bedding Yami had been an experience so far beyond all his other encounters, he couldn't place them in the same league. He felt… different. It wasn't anything he could pinpoint, but something had changed, and it was neither good nor bad. He'd had no epiphany that gave him a sudden interest in having relationships with others, but he also didn't feel anger, resentment, or any desire to discard Yami like he had his other would-be lovers. He simply felt lighter, as though he'd shed some invisible burden.

If nothing else, he certainly wanted to repeat last night's performance as often as he feasibly could. Kaiba stretched lazily, feeling better about what he had to do now that he'd taken stock of himself. He pushed himself up on his elbows and turned towards where Yami was curled up in bed.

He stopped. Blinked. Blinked again.

Yami's side of the bed was empty. It took Kaiba a moment to process this information, it seemed so bizarre. Where could the other man have possibly gone? He glanced towards his bathroom and saw no light on under the door. A touch of panic entered Kaiba's chest. There was a chance that Yami couldn't sleep and had left to look around. That meant there was also a chance he'd encountered a staff member or gotten lost. Why else wouldn't he have returned to bed by now? Kaiba growled. If Yami had left, he wouldn't have been able to get back into the room because he didn't know any of Kaiba's security codes. That would leave him trapped out in the mansion with no way of letting the CEO know about it. Scenarios ran through the brunet's mind at lightning speed. So much for feeling like everything was okay.

He sighed and flopped back down on the bed, flinging his arms out in frustration. He heard a crinkle of paper and cracked one eye open. There was a half sheet of graph paper from Kaiba's desk buried in the pillows. The brunet sat bolt upright in bed and snatched it up. A note?

He turned it over and saw one line of elegant writing. Every loop and swirl was fully formed and evenly spaced by a sure, confident hand. Kaiba wanted to be amused by how much more elegant the pharaoh's writing was than his speech, but he was too busy trying to process the words on the page.

"You know where to find me."

…

…

**Author's Note: **DUN DUN DUUUUUUUN! You're going to have to wait a while to find out what happens next, because the next chapter is the final piece of back story. It's going to be a good one and very important to the plot so DON'T SKIP IT. Plus, it'll have some smexy time, as pretty much every chapter of this story does.

I may not update for a little longer than my usual four days, because my fingers hurt from writing this 19-pages-long chapter (over 10,000 words, by the way). Please forgive me. XD

**Rule Number Five:** Drink any time someone makes a dramatic hand gesture for no apparent reason. Drink twice if that person is Yugi/Yami, and he happens to be talking about friendship.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: **And we're back! That wasn't as long of a wait as I thought it was going to be, considering the insane length of my last chapter (this chapter is also over 10,000 words. I'm failing at trying to cut shit down to size). Had I not promised to make this the last chapter of flashback, I would split it into two. Anyways, thanks for all the awesome reviews! I'm glad you guys enjoyed yourselves. ;) God I hope FFnet doesn't find that chapter. If anything is ever going to get me booted off this site for being an incredibly perverse little girl, it's that.

**Just to clear up some confusion**: This is the last chapter of _backstory_, **not** the last chapter period, and then we'll be all caught up with the present. I have no idea when this fic is going to end. If I have to end it early because of school (which starts August 23rd, I believe), I promise to write a sequel and soon. This chapter is very, very important to the future plot, and it has some sexy time in it that I think you'll all enjoy. I know I enjoyed writing it. I didn't edit it as thoroughly as I usually do, so if you see any outrageous typos, let me know. This is where my story is going to break off from following the canon storyline and go in its own direction. If you have any questions, ask. =]

As always, this fic is dedicated to **Teal, Gunslinger, and Dyan.** When the skies are stormy and the future is uncertain, you are the Prozac I swallow with a bite of Ramen and a swig of Jameson.

…

…

**Return to the Past : After the conclusion of Battle City.**

"What do you think he's staring at?"

"How the hell should I know? He's been staring off into space since we got here."

"I wonder if he's really a hologram. He seems pretty real to me."

"That's what he said. It sounds stupid, but no more so than anything else that's been happening to us lately."

"What do you think he's going to do with his life? Ya know, now that he actually has one and all."

"I dunno, submit himself to extensive government testing in an underground facility?"

"That is possibly the dumbest thing I've ever heard you say."

Yami sighed. "I can hear you both perfectly."

Joey and Tristan immediately stopped whispering and tensed up into a proverbial "oops!" posture.

"Sorry, Yami," Joey said, rubbing the back of his head. "We just… don't know what to think about all this."

"Nice going, guys," Tea muttered, absently stirring her tea with a plastic spoon. "Way to be subtle."

Joey, Tristan, Tea, Yugi, and Yami were all seated outside of a small café. By all accounts, the day was lovely: clear blue skies, a nice breeze, and even a few birds twittering in a nearby tree. The tension in the air, however, was anything but pleasant. It lingered like a bad taste on Yami's tongue. The whispers were bad enough, but everyone but Yugi seemed to have developed a sudden aversion to making eye contact with him. They held their limbs close to their bodies as if to protect themselves, and when they spoke it was only amongst themselves and always about the pharaoh. They talked about him in the same manner art students might discuss a painting on a wall: they were trying to unravel the meaning behind every brush stroke.

Yami, for the most part, understood their hesitation. He couldn't say he would behave any differently if the roles were reversed. A small, petty part of himself, however, felt betrayed by their lack of faith. These were people he considered friends, and seeing them grow distant from him right before his eyes was a pain he'd only experienced once before: when Yugi had turned from him after he'd ordered an attack on Kaiba at the top of Pegasus' castle.

He felt a sharp, stabbing twinge in his chest and quickly shoved thoughts of the brunet away. Now was not the time.

Thankfully, Yugi chose to speak up and distract them all from the awkward silence that had descended on the table. "Yami, I know this is a strange time for you, but we need to start recognizing what a blessing this is."

Yami turned to his former vessel and smiled. Yugi's eyes were as cheerful and carefree as always. It heartened him to know that if he had no one else to count on, he always had Yugi.

"What do you mean, little one?"

"Well, I'm sure you're aware of this, but this is a… peculiar situation." Yugi paused as if searching for the proper words. "I, for one, am so happy to have you with us. I enjoyed having you in the puzzle - ready to guide me when I was in trouble - but I always felt guilty: like I was taking advantage of your talents without offering anything in return."

Yami's eyes widened. "I had no idea you felt that way. Surely you know I would have given anything to help you succeed."

Yugi blushed and rubbed the back of his head. "Of course, that's why I felt so strange about it. I didn't know how to repay you. Now that you have a body of your own, though, I can finally give something back."

"You don't owe me anything, little one. I was destined to return to this world and help you save it from the evil that was threatening to swallow it."

"I'm glad you said that, Yami." Yugi's eyes sparkled with a fire that they normally only contained when he was dueling. "I was thinking about this last night, and I realized something: maybe this was the next step that Fate had in store for us."

Yami cocked his head to the side, allowing the gesture to silently ask his question.

"Think about it. You were with me all while I needed you during Duelist Kingdom, Battle City, and Noah's World. We defeated all of the evil together and saved the world. Now that it's safe… keeping you with me would have been the same as keeping you trapped in the Millennium Puzzle. I used to worry back when we were still joined together that after we accomplished our task, I would be too afraid to let you go. I wondered if I would be strong enough to face my own battles without you. Now I get to find out."

Yami was speechless, as was everyone else at the table.

Yugi smiled. "I truly believe that Fate found a way to set you free when the time was right. Now that our teamwork is no longer needed to protect the world, we can both move on and grow as individuals. Of course, I'll always seek you out when I need your guidance, but you get to have your own life now, and I get to find my own inner strength."

It was like magic. It truly was. Yugi's words broke the tension in the air, and suddenly everyone was smiling again.

Joey chuckled and clapped his small friend on the back. "Yugi, I had no idea you were so deep. You should go into that psychobabble therapy mumbo jumbo."

"Uh… thanks. I think."

Tea turned to Yami and smiled genuinely. "He's right, Yami! I bet this was meant to be! Now you get to be one of the gang for real."

Tristan chimed in next, "He was always one of the gang! Except now we can rib him just like we do to little Yugi over here."

Yugi chuckled. "I somehow don't think it's a wise idea to tease a five-thousand-year-old pharaoh. He probably knows ancient practical jokes that we've never even heard of."

Everyone laughed as Tristan's face dissolved into a look of deep concentration, as if he were truly pondering this possibility with every mental faculty at his command.

Yami smiled along with them, but it didn't reach his eyes. Yugi had granted him a small favor - the return of his friends - but things were not nearly as simple as the little one had made it seem. They would have to address the true issues eventually, but for now he was content to let his companions laugh together in the sunlight of a bright new day.

…

**Later that Night : Yugi's Room**

"Are you comfortable, Pharaoh? There are extra blankets in the closet."

Yami smiled affectionately. "You don't have to call me that anymore, little one."

"Oh." Yugi ducked his head down with embarrassment. "Force of habit, I guess." He was sitting on his bed, his short legs dangling over the side of the mattress. He swung them lightly back and forth, and his toes just barely skimmed the carpet. He'd grown taller recently, and though he hadn't mentioned it to his friends, Yami knew of his delight simply by watching the way he looked at himself in the mirror in the morning. It made him wonder if his own body was capable of growing. Noah had said he would age as any normal human, thanks to the computer program that bound his existence together, but he had no way of knowing how advanced the program really was.

_I suppose I'll find out soon enough_.

"So, what do you want to do tomorrow?" Yugi was smiling, and Yami found it difficult not to return the smile. His small friend was like a literal ray of sunshine at times.

"I'm not certain. I assume you'll be in school for most of the day. I'll find some way to occupy myself without you."

"Maybe we should look into registering you at the school. You have a lot of catching up to do in terms of history, science, and modern medicine."

"As much as I would enjoy that, I don't believe it's possible."

"Why not?"

Yami sat up for a better look at his friend. He was lying on the floor in a makeshift bed made of layered blankets and pillows, and his position wasn't the most conducive to conversation. "You know that thin, plastic rectangle that I have seen you pull out of your wallet on occasion?"

Yugi looked confused for a moment, then perked up. "My ID?"

Yami nodded solemnly. "I do not have one of those."

"Well, yeah, but-"

"Think about it."

Yugi fell silent for a moment, and Yami could tell from the changes his facial expression underwent that he was finally beginning to understand the worries that had been plaguing the Egyptian all along.

"You don't have… any form of identification at all." Yugi's eyes widened slowly as the truth dawned on him. "You don't have _an identity._ There's no birth record of you. No credit information. No history of where you've lived or purchases you've made or schools you've attended. You don't even have a Social Security Number."

"Now you see my plight, little one." Yami sighed and lowered himself back down into his blankets. He felt suddenly exhausted. "As far as the rest of the world is concerned, I never existed before this day. I simply appeared on the face of the planet. I have nothing in the most literal sense of the word. I don't even truly have a name."

Yugi said nothing, his brow furrowed with alarm. After a long silence, he whispered, "There must be something we can do." It seemed like he was saying it more to himself than to the pharaoh.

Yami stretched, enjoying the sound of cartilage popping in his back. "Truthfully, I am pleased to be alive. I am, however, sorry for the burden I have placed on your family. I appreciate that you are letting me stay here until we can figure something out, but I know I cannot rely on you for support forever."

"I would take care of you all my life if you needed it, Yami." Yugi's voice had adopted a note of sobriety that it seldom contained. "Without you, I would have lost everything, and so would have the entire world. I will never forget that. I won't say more than that, however, because I know we're going to figure something out. You'll have your own identity if it's the last thing I do."

Yami smiled broadly, and for a second, the dark cloud that had been hanging in his mind began to clear. "You're a good friend, Yugi. I thank you from the bottom of my heart."

The little one gave him a thumbs up. "Right back atcha."

"Perhaps there is some way we could create the documents I need?" Yami's mouth drew into a thin, contemplative line. "I imagine in this new age of technology most of the files are digital."

"Oh hey, that's an idea. I bet someone could break into the government registry and create a file for you. Once we can prove you exist, you can go to school and get a job and do the rest yourself. It would be incredibly risky, though, especially for anyone who didn't know what they were doing."

"What about Rebecca Hawkins? She's a computer prodigy if I recall correctly."

Yugi nodded. "That's right. She'd be able to do it for certain. Unfortunately, she's out of the country and difficult to contact. That's the right line of thinking, though." Yugi paused for a second and then snapped his fingers, grinning widely. "I bet Kaiba could do it! His computers are powerful enough to pull something like that off, and I know he hacked into Pegasus' computer back in Duelist Kingdom!"

Yami stiffened. The black cloud that had started to ebb away came flooding back over him. Why did everything seem to lead back to one man?

"What's wrong, Yami?"

"Nothing. I just… don't believe Kaiba is the answer we're searching for."

"Why not? He fits the bill perfectly: powerful, good with computers, and he owes us a favor or two." Yugi paused to study his friend, and Yami did his best to keep his face neutral. He wasn't fast enough, however, or perhaps the little one just knew him too well. The Egyptian could see Yugi's brilliant young mind piecing separate incidents together into one overall picture.

"Yami… did something… _happen_ between you and Kaiba?"

"What do you mean?" All he could do was feign ignorance and pray for the best.

Unfortunately, luck was not on his side.

"Well, during Battle City, I remember waking up in Kaiba's room on his blimp. It didn't make any sense to me at the time, because I know I fell asleep in my own bed that night. I kept forgetting to ask you about it because we got caught up in dueling the Big Five. But then once we got back from the virtual world, I went looking for my deck, and it wasn't in my belt. It was in Kaiba's room."

Yami froze as a memory flooded back to him. Borrowing Yugi's body without his permission. The duel in Kaiba's room. The kiss. Then the turbulence hit. They'd rushed out of the room… and Yami had left his deck right there on the table along with the CEO's. He hadn't noticed it because in the Virtual World, they'd chosen their decks from a card library the whole time. In all his five thousand years of life, he'd never been so astounded by his own idiocy.

This. Was. Not. Good.

Yugi seemed to understand that he'd struck a nerve. He watched Yami's face very carefully as he continued, "There's more. Kaiba isn't the cuddliest person in the world, but when we woke up from those virtual simulation pods, and he saw you for the first time… there was something in his face that I couldn't understand. The way he talked to you was even worse. He seemed like he wished you would disappear on the spot. Considering he then claimed he'd never seen you before… it just doesn't make sense. He's adamant about denying everything supernatural, but if he really thought he'd never seen you before - even disregarding how similar we look - he wouldn't have had any reason to treat you that way. He looked at you like you were a bad nightmare he couldn't wake up from."

All while the smaller teen spoke, the Egyptian was engaged in a fierce inner struggle. He hated the idea of lying to his friend, but how could he tell him the truth? It would crush him for certain, but what else could he feasibly say to him? At the height of his inner turmoil, Yugi closed off his last escape route: "I saw the way you were looking at him, Yami. I saw your face before and after he said he'd never seen you before. Those words meant a lot more to you than they did to anyone else. I don't understand why, but they did."

There were times when he honestly wished his little friend wasn't quite so sharp.

Yami sighed and passed a hand over his face in agitation. "Yugi… there's something I must tell you. I only pray you will forgive me."

Yugi blinked. "Of course. You know you can tell me anything."

Yami sat up and turned to face the little one. He hoped his friend couldn't see him shaking, because he could feel his nervousness in every limb. If he lost Yugi because of one stupid, selfish night… his new life would mean literally nothing to him.

"I… borrowed your body while you were sleeping."

Yugi blinked again. "Okay, that's not so bad. I would probably want to stretch my legs a little if I were stuck in my own head for five thousand years as well. What did you do with it?"

"I went to go look at the view from atop Kaiba's blimp, and I ran into him there. We decided to have a friendly match to pass the time. That's why your deck was in his room."

Yugi's face visibly dripped with relief. "Is that all? God, don't ever worry me like th-" He stopped when he noticed Yami had not relaxed in the slightest. "Did… something else happen?"

"Yugi… I don't know what got into me that night, but I started taunting Kaiba. I've revealed to him before the nature of my origins, as you know, but that night I was feeling determined to rub it in his face. I wanted him to know that it was just me that time, not you and I merged together. That man brings out a dark side of me that I try my best to keep from you and our friends."

Yugi nodded slowly, and his brows knit neatly together with perplexity. "Well, everyone likes to taunt Kaiba when they get the chance. He's kind of a douche bag." He clearly had no idea what Yami was getting at.

The pharaoh continued, "I don't really know how to say this, but… Kaiba kissed me."

Silence.

Five slow, tortuous seconds of complete and utter silence.

Then it all came crashing down.

Yugi's hands clapped over his mouth, but there was no stifling the cry of disbelief that escaped from him like pressure from a loose valve. His normally-large eyes looked comical they had widened so dramatically. Yami flinched. He'd expected a bad reaction, naturally, but this was only going to get worse.

"You… he… I… how did… why… WHAAAAAAAAAAAAT?" Yugi stuttured, his face growing redder by the second.

"I don't know what to tell you, little one. He kissed me. Then the turbulence began, and we became trapped in Noah's World. That is why Kaiba was so shocked when I appeared with my own body."

Yugi had grown so still, Yami began to wonder if it was possible to die from shock. They sat like that for a full two minutes in the most awkward silence the Egyptian had ever heard. Just as he began to consider seeking out Yugi's grandfather for help, the younger man began rubbing furiously at his mouth.

"OH MY GOD, I CAN'T BELIEVE HE KISSED ME! US! WHATEVER! HIS LIPS TOUCHED MINE!"

Yami was torn between the desire to reach out and comfort his friend and to watch with fascination as Yugi lost his cool in a way he'd never seen before. His face was an inhuman shade of red akin to a bloody sunrise, and it seemed he was determined to rub at least one layer of skin off his lips. It would have been hilarious if Yami were any less disturbed by the uncharacteristic display.

"Yugi… please calm down. I've never seen you like this before."

"I've never been kissed by another man before! I've never even kissed a girl! Why the hell did my first kiss have to go to _Kaiba_ of all people? Oh God, I'm going to need so much therapy."

"Technically, he didn't kiss you. Just your body. He kissed me. At least, I think he meant to kiss me. I haven't quite figured that part out yet."

This seemed to shake Yugi from the unfathomable depths of his horror just slightly. He stopped frantically rubbing his lips, at least. "What do you mean?"

"Well, Kaiba used to refer to us both as Yugi. You and I shared a body but have two very different personalities. It can't be said which one of us he's attracted to, or if he thinks of us as a package deal: two different sides of the same person. However, if my knowledge of Kaiba's behavior is correct, I would have to conclude it is me he's attracted to, since he shows little interest in you when you're not dueling. Perhaps you are not his type."

"As much as I know I should be relieved, I somehow feel insulted."

"That is not my intention, little one."

"I know, I know." Yugi ran a hand over his brow, looking as dumbfounded as if someone had just told him Michael Jackson had returned from the grave to start a stylish zombie Apocalypse. "I just… wow. That is _bizarre_. Even moving beyond my sheer terror at the thought of being kissed by a tool like Kaiba - let alone while I was asleep and my body was being controlled by a magical spirit - I can't believe Kaiba is _gay._"

"Of all the incredibly insane situations we've been through together, that is what truly shocks you?"

"Yes, actually. Finding out that a pillar of masculinity like Kaiba is gay is like finding out black is white, up is down, and boy bands play instruments."

Yami smiled at the joke, though he didn't know what "boy bands" were. "I'm not sure that he is homosexual, per se. I believe he is attracted to the challenge that I present him and is otherwise generally asexual."

"I really don't want to talk about Kaiba's sexual preferences. _Really._" Yugi buried his face in his hands and took a deep breath. When he finally looked up again, he seemed as if he had regained a measure of his composure. "Well, I guess thanks for telling me. I might have lived a long, happy life never knowing that happened, but it certainly explains a lot."

"I am sorry I burdened you with this knowledge."

Yugi waved him off. "Don't be. This doesn't change anything, though: Kaiba is still your best bet for getting what you need. You're going to have to go talk to him tomorrow while I'm in class."

Yami grimaced, and the smaller teen shrugged in response. "I know, but it can't be helped. If he kissed you, he must have some interest in you, regardless of how he acted when you got your body. Just explain what's going on and ask for his help. Oh, but try to avoid using the word 'magic'. He seems to really hate that."

"Gee, I never noticed."

"Don't get snarky with me, mister. You're lucky I'm an unfailingly kind person, or I'd have every right to be pissed about this."

Yami smiled. "I am lucky, Yugi. Thank you for understanding."

The little one smiled. "I may not like it, but it will take more than that to make me forget all you've done for me. Let's get some sleep. You have a big day ahead of you, and I don't envy you in the slightest."

Yami nodded and settled back into bed. Yugi clicked off the lamp on his nightstand, and the room filled with the sound of rustling covers.

The Egyptian's head spun with thoughts of seeing the beautiful brunet in just a few hours. Kaiba had haunted his dreams nearly every night, and most of them were not pleasant. Things were beginning to change inside him, and he wondered how much of the change was a result of his salacious encounter with the CEO.

Just as he felt sleep finally overtaking him, he heard Yugi shift in his bed.

"Yami?"

"Yes, little one?"

"There's something I'm curious about."

"Go ahead."

"When Kaiba kissed you… did you… _like it?_"

"Uhhhhh. Well, the thing is…"

"OH MY GOD."

…

**The Next Day : In front of Kaiba Corporation's Main Building**

Kaiba Corporation's Main Office was located in a swanky part of downtown that housed a number of up-and-coming gaming companies. Advertisements for everything from video games to the latest Duel Monsters craze plastered every flat surface as far as the eye could see. Each seemed to feature slight variations of the same extravagantly effeminate protagonists and their scantily-clad love interests to the point where Yami wondered how anyone could tell one game from the next. The business district was dedicated to the will of the masses and convincing teenagers to spend millions on what they'd been told was "the next big thing"; it was trend whoring in its most potent form: mass media.

If Yami hadn't already been overwhelmed by the sheer size of the buildings - each steel obelisk seemed to be battling the others for a chance to be the first to touch the sky - he would have drowned in the insane amount of color that drenched everything around him. He wondered how anyone could stand to come here every day without suffering from severe epilepsy. Neon lights flashed within store windows, giant models of monsters made of bright plastic towered outside the doors, banners screamed out the dates of new releases in block letters, and even the people walking the streets mirrored their environment. This must have been where the "artsy city folk" crowd gathered to discuss the latest trend, because every face sported multiple piercings, every body was clad in wacky cyber goth gear, and every head of hair had been bleached and dyed into a veritable maelstrom of unnatural colors. Yami understood that he was one to talk about crazy hair, but at least his was a natural fluke of genetics.

He felt incredibly underdressed in this crowd: he was wearing some of the new clothes Yugi had bought him when they'd realized he was too tall to share his wardrobe: black studded boots, dark blue jeans, a maroon shirt patterned with white stars, and a high-collared black jacket with several zippered pockets. Even with the extra decoration, he was nothing compared to the majority of the people on the streets.

His eyes felt almost relieved when they fell upon a building that was strikingly different from the rest: no advertisements, no neon statues, and no alternative crowd. Despite its lack of excess decoration, the building was anything but bland. It was sleek in a way that spoke to the ingenious nature of its design: slender but strong and fluid like mercury. It didn't need the overstated gimmicks of the rest; Yami could tell just by looking at it.

It was Kaiba Corporation.

The Egyptian felt a cold lump form in the pit of his stomach. He would face Kaiba soon for the first time since the end of Battle City. He could feel his usual cool confidence ebbing away with every step he took towards the revolving front doors. It left him feeling empty and allowed the cold fingers of uncertainty to greedily grip his heart.

Yami had admittedly not been himself lately. He supposed he had no right to make conjectures about his character, considering his lack of memories, but he had learned enough about himself during his time with Yugi to know a few things: he was a strong person, he was not afraid to fight for what was right, and so long as his intentions were pure, he would always succeed.

Lately, however, he'd noticed disturbing shifts in his behavior. Borrowing Yugi's body while he was sleeping was one of the first steps down a dark, troubling path. He thought back to the night before and remembered when he'd honestly considered - even for a fraction of a second - lying to the best friend he'd ever known in order to hide what he'd done. These were things he never would have considered doing when he first woke up from his millennia-long slumber and bonded with Yugi in order to protect mankind.

He wondered sometimes if this modern world was beginning to corrupt him.

Having his own body was the final tug on his already-unraveling peace of mind. With every passing day, he felt as if he were being consumed by a maelstrom of new desires and emotions. When he was still a spirit, he'd easily set aside worry for his own wellbeing because he had so much less to lose. His five thousand years in spiritual exile had made him forget what it was to be alive. Now that he'd had a taste of flesh and blood again, he'd discovered he couldn't imagine giving it up. He loved the sun on his skin, the smell of rain, the food and water that fueled his body, and the breath he constantly pulled into his lungs only to push it out again. The basics of survival were blessings to him. How did humans ever place themselves in harm's way when they had so much to lose?

To put it simply, Yami had remembered what it was like to be selfish.

Two sides of the same existential coin were waging war within him: he couldn't understand how to enjoy the pleasures of the flesh while holding on to the things he loved most about himself. He could only pray that with time he would learn how to live comfortably within his own skin.

Until then, he had another formidable challenge to deal with: convincing a man as cold and beautiful as winter itself to assist him in gaining an identity.

Yami made his way through Kaiba Corp's revolving doors and tried to ignore his pounding heart. He now stood in a lobby that was anything but inviting: the metal chairs lining the walls looked as if they'd never been sat in, the magazines looked as if they'd never been flipped through, and the receptionist behind the large main desk looked shocked that someone had actually entered the building. Shocked wasn't precisely the right word to describe the expression on her young, attractive face, Yami decided. It more looked like she couldn't believe someone was actually daring to force her to do her job.

"May I help you?" She asked him as he approached, a tinge of annoyance in her tone. She didn't even look at him as she spoke; her dark eyes were glued to a computer screen as she punched in names and addresses from a stack of forms in front of her. The light from the screen made her pale skin look waxen, just as the overhead fluorescent lighting made the white walls and plain tile floor look like the inside of a hospital. The Egyptian was honestly surprised Kaiba hadn't put more flair into decorating. Then again, he probably didn't give a fuck what anyone thought about his lobby.

"I need to see Kaiba," Yami answered without hesitation. He leaned his elbow casually on top of her papers and smiled innocently.

The woman unconsciously leaned back to accommodate his invasion of her space, and a line of irritation formed between her eyes. "Do you have an appointment?"

"No, but he'll want to see me. Tell him Yugi Mutou is here."

Her eyes narrowed, and for a second Yami wondered if she was going to tell him no. After a moment, however, she reached for an office phone on the edge of her desk, lifted the receiver to her ear, and pressed a single button. It rang only once before a familiar gruff voice came on the line. Even muffled by technology and distance, Yami could still recognize that voice instantly. It filled him with chills that quickly turned to velvety heat that just as quickly became chills again.

"A man named Mutou is here to see you, sir. Yugi Mutou."

There was a pregnant pause. The deep voice gave some kind of terse response.

"Uhh… no, sir, I wouldn't call him short. Not as tall as you but still pretty tall." She paused uncertainly as the voice spoke again. "Yes, sir, I'm quite certain that he's not short." The receptionist gave Yami a very confused once-over. It seemed she'd figured out that the teen in front of her was somehow important to her boss, and now she was trying to deduce why from his physical appearance alone.

"Yes, actually, he does have ridiculous hair… Multi-colored spikes… Purple eyes... Uhh… yes, sir, but I don't understand why … Yes, he's here alone. Shall I send him up?"

There was a long, tension-filled pause. The receptionist once again shot Yami a dumbfounded look. Apparently she wasn't used to hearing her boss hesitate. The Egyptian flashed her a million-watt smile. Kaiba was probably going to fire her for putting him in this situation, however inadvertently.

One word came from the other end of the phone, followed by a sharp click as Kaiba undoubtedly slammed his receiver down. Yami could feel his nervousness escalating exponentially as he waited to hear of his fate.

The receptionist stared at the phone in her hand like she thought it was about to explode. She then turned to Yami and offered him a smile, having finally deemed him worthy of politeness. "Mr. Kaiba will see you, Mr. Mutou."

Yami discovered it was possible to feel relieved and petrified at the same time.

The receptionist pointed to a set of three elevators off to the left. "Take those to the top floor. Walk to the end of the corridor. You'll know it when you see it." She glanced at her phone again and frowned. "Good luck."

Yami flashed her another dazzling smile and sauntered off, praying he looked more confident than he felt. The middle elevator opened the moment he pressed the up button, revealing a thick glass back and a glimpse of the street outside. He pressed the button for the top floor - the 27th - and noted that there was in fact a button for the 13th floor. Leave it to Kaiba to ensure that not even the slightest superstition found its way into his life. As the glass compartment rose, Yami was given a stunning view of the city skyline that would have been breathtaking had his breath not left him long ago. His heart was going to give out any second now. There was no way it could go on frantically beating like this for much longer.

The ding of the elevator as it reached its destination might as well have been the tolling of a doomsday bell. Yami stepped into a long, carpeted corridor lined with wooden doors that undoubtedly led to offices and conference rooms. He made his way down the corridor as directed and immediately saw what the receptionist had meant: there was no mistaking Kaiba's office.

At the end of the hallway lay a set of imposing metal doors that could have easily been the entrance to a vault. They were etched with a towering relief of two Blue-Eyes White Dragons circling each other in mid-air. Upon reaching the doors and inspecting them, the King of Games noted a stunning level of detail: each scale was defined with hair-thin lines, and there were air currents flowing under their wings. Each door had a handle cleverly disguised as a claw on their massive forelimbs. For a moment, Yami considered knocking, but when he reached up, his hand visibly shook. If nothing else, he could at least take Kaiba by surprise.

He took a deep breath, twisted the handle on the right door, and pushed it in. The first thing he saw was a literal wall of windows like the compound eyes of a dragonfly. It sectioned a sweeping, hundred-mile view of the city into a grid and made it seem even more mechanical than before. The office itself was larger than Yugi's whole house and decorated immaculately in black with silver relief. It was obvious that Kaiba had spent much more time on his office than he had on the lobby: winged armchairs and couches, tear-drop-shaped chrome lamps, tasteful paintings, and a large mahogany desk towards the back.

The most important thing in the room, however, was the tall man standing with his back to the door, gazing out at the city with his hands folded behind him. Yami's veins pumped shards of glass and bile. He took a wobbly step forward and closed the door behind him. As soon as it clicked shut, Kaiba turned his head to profile and looked Yami up and down. That sapphire gaze pierced through him like the coldest of winter breezes. He was positive Kaiba could see everything he was trying to hide: his nervousness, his excitement at seeing him again, his desperate desire to appear unconcerned, and most of all how much he needed the CEO's help.

Kaiba turned back to his windows, and for a moment the pharaoh thought he was going to be ignored. A memory flooded back to him: standing atop a blimp while a stunning brunet stood with his back turned, his eyes on the city below him. It was fitting, truthfully. Kaiba's attention would always be turned towards the metallic future and away from the humanity that designed it.

"I could have you thrown out for trespassing."

The words were as calm and flat as if the CEO had made a comment about the weather.

Yami quirked an eyebrow, though he knew Kaiba couldn't see him. "You invited me in, Buffy."

"I invited Yugi Mutou into my office. You said yourself that you are not Yugi, and I've seen that much with my own eyes." Kaiba finally turned to face him. The sunlight filtering through the windows backlit him with an otherworldly glow. His face might have been that of an angel, but his smile was that of Mephistopheles as he eagerly held out his red book so Yami could sign his soul away in blood. "If you're not Yugi, then who the hell are you?"

His tone was abrasive, but Yami sensed an undercurrent of something else: curiosity. Kaiba wanted answers, and that fact alone was enough to give the Egyptian a surge of reckless bravery.

"Mother fucking Teresa."

Kaiba rolled his eyes and strode over to a high-backed leather chair behind his desk. He placed his hand on its back but didn't sit. He was obviously loathe to lower himself in his present company in any way, however literal. Yami, however, had no such scruples. He sauntered over to a set of winged armchairs on the opposite side of the desk and flopped carelessly into one, his right leg slung over an armrest. Kaiba frowned, as if he didn't appreciate his furniture being treated so casually. After a moment, his attitude shifted to that of a scientist analyzing a specimen. His sharp gaze inched its way up Yami's legs to his slender torso and then traveled the length of each arm. Finally, it settled on his face, and the Egyptian couldn't tell if Kaiba had found what he was looking for or not.

"My name is Yami," the pharaoh answered, meeting Kaiba's cool stare unblinkingly.

"Last name?"

"I don't have one."

Kaiba scoffed. "That's impossible. Your last name would have to be Mutou. You and Yugi are clearly related, if not twins."

"Feel free to check the birth records yourself. The Mutou family has only one son: no cousins, no illegitimate offspring, and certainly no twins."

Kaiba's eyes narrowed. He finally took a seat and tapped a key on his keyboard. It seemed he did indeed intend to check Yami's story. The purple-eyed teen waited patiently while the other man drew up the public birth records from all the major hospitals. Thanks to his finesse with computers, it didn't take the CEO very long to confirm Yami's story: only one child had been born into the Mutou line in this generation, and no other branch of the same family had a child who was the right age.

His eyes narrowed. "This doesn't prove anything."

"I didn't come here to satisfy your curiosity, sweetheart." Yami started swinging one of his legs lackadaisically, and he could tell from Kaiba's body language alone that it irritated him. "You can believe that Yugi and I are related if you like. Hell, you can think we're doppelgangers for all I care. God only knows I grew weary long ago of trying to get you to admit what's right in front of your eyes."

"If I were you I would think twice before insulting me to my face."

"I'm merely stating the truth. You can't deny that you're a man of reason. In fact, you pride yourself on it. They often say that pride and ignorance coincide quite readily with each other."

Kaiba growled softly, and the sound gave Yami a slight thrill. "Cut to the chase, then. Why exactly are you here?"

The pharaoh stopped swinging his leg and looked at the other man very seriously. "I need your help."

"Why should I help you?"

"Out of the kindness of your heart?"

The CEO steepled his fingers in front of his face and seemed to be debating if he should laugh or not. "Yug…" he stopped and corrected himself, "Yami, I don't know how you got the impression that I'm a philanthropist, but I'm not. Unless you have some form of business proposition for me, I feel no obligation to waste my time on you."

"You don't even know what I want you to do yet." Yami saw Kaiba quickly looked away, as if he were embarrassed. It puzzled him for a moment until he realized the slight suggestive undertone to what he'd said. Ah, so Kaiba was thinking about the kiss, too. He was glad to know he wasn't the only one.

"The thing is, darling," Yami drawled, standing up and leaning forward to place his palms on Kaiba's desk, "I seem to recall being quite the philanthropist towards you in the past. I rescued you and your little brother from Pegasus, then I rescued you both again when the Big Five trapped you in your own game, and then I rescued you yet again before Noah's World exploded." He cocked his head to the side and studied Kaiba's face. The man looked as stony and neutral as ever, but there was a razor-sharp edge in his eyes. If there was one thing the proud man hated most, it was being indebted to someone else. "I think I've done more than enough to warrant asking a small favor in return."

Kaiba's eyes flashed dangerously, but for once he didn't make his usual argument that he could have gotten out of all of those situations on his own. "I don't appreciate having the past lorded over me, but I'm willing to hear you out. What exactly do you want from me?"

Yami paused to allow those unintentionally seductive words to linger in the air. His lips twitched up as if he were fighting back a coy smile, and he saw Kaiba visibly assess the two feet of distance between their bodies as if he were just now becoming aware of it. The tension that always lingered in the air when they were together began to thicken.

The Egyptian leaned closer. "I want you to create an identity for me. I won't bore you with the details - you won't believe me anyways - but I currently don't exist. As it stands, there is no record of my birth, my family, where I've lived, nothing. I need someone with power and technical skills to forge the paperwork so I can start a new life."

"You can't be serious," Kaiba sneered. "That's so incredibly illegal, I almost wish you'd asked me to murder someone instead. It's identity theft in the most literal sense. You think it's a simple matter to hack into the government census and create a whole new person? Tax records dating back for decades keep track of every head in every household. If the government is good at one thing, it's ensuring they're getting their money. I could lose my company and my freedom just for trying."

"Well, if you're not capable enough to pull it off without getting caught, then I guess that's that." Yami's smile was positively simpering. "No shame in admitting defeat, Kaiba. I'm sure you would have tried your best. I suppose I'll just have to find someone who's better with computers than you. I bet that little Rebecca girl can do it. I imagine by the time she's your age, she'll be able to program circles around you."

The second he felt a hand grip the front of his shirt and furiously yank him forward, he knew he'd won.

Kaiba had jumped up, his whole body taut with anger, and while one hand steadied him as he leaned over his desk to invade Yami's space, the other was dragging the pharaoh closer like a rag doll.

"Don't you fucking dare taunt me in my own office." Kaiba's voice was almost as dark as his eyes. His warm breath tickled Yami's cheek and made him feel as if he were in the clutches of a ravenous beast. "I never said I couldn't do it. You just haven't convinced me that you're worth the effort yet."

Yami smiled. "Oh how quickly the heart forgets."

Kaiba's eyes narrowed, but he didn't back off. Sparks were practically flying in the inches between their bodies, but neither man was willing to show the slightest hesitation. Aggression was the best method they had ever found for venting their excess emotion towards each other without having to label it. Now, as they both leaned over opposite sides of the desk towards each other, it would be their downfall.

"I'm sure I don't know what you're referring to," Kaiba growled. He was daring Yami to say it. The memory of their last encounter hung heavily in the air. The brunet would ignore it until the day he died, but the pharaoh would never allow him.

"I never pegged you for the fickle sort, sweetheart," Yami purred. He rolled each "r" sound just slightly and saw Kaiba's eyes dart down to his mouth. "After all, you were the one who…" the air was so thick with tension it was suffocating "…kissed me." Yami threw caution to the wind and decided to twist the knife. "Twice."

Kaiba growled and started to shove Yami back, but the Egyptian clamped a hand over his wrist. "No need to be ashamed, sweetheart. You're a young man with hormones and needs just like everyone else."

"Do _not_ presume to tell me what I need. I was exhausted and not thinking clearly."

"That might, _might,_ have explained the first kiss to someone who doesn't know you as well as I do, but what of the second?"

"Adrenaline, nerves, near-death experience, temporary loss of sanity: you can take your pick."

Yami smiled slowly. It was the smile of a man who couldn't be fooled. "Kaiba, we both know you don't touch anyone else like this." He squeezed the hand that was buried in his shirt. "As many times as Joey has pissed you off, you've never found excuses to manhandle him like you have me. I didn't realize it until you grabbed me on the blimp, but you're pretty much constantly fighting back a desire to touch me, and violence is the easiest excuse." His voice dropped into a rumbling whisper. "Not that I mind. I always did like it rough."

"Don't flatter yourself. Have you ever considered that maybe you just really irritate me?"

"Naturally." Yami grinned. "But I haven't heard you deny it yet, and you're still touching me." He squeezed Kaiba's wrist again for emphasis. "An uninterested man would have shoved me away by now, but you're keeping me close." He glanced leisurely down at Kaiba's lips, letting the brunet see him do it, and then his eyes trailed back up to whirling sapphire. "You're debating with yourself, because you know you want to kiss me again, but if you do you'll have no excuse. You're well-rested, and you're not about to die. This time, you'll have nothing to blame but your own desire."

"Maybe I'm debating whether to call security or throw you out myself," Kaiba growled, but his grip only tightened. He knew he was trapped, but he'd be damned before he'd admit it. "You're awfully brazen for someone in such a bind. If what you said about your identity is true, then there's no way you can live a normal life without my help. I'd think someone in your position would be trying harder to get on my good side."

"I am trying to get on you, doll."

Kaiba tried to hide his body's reaction to the provocative words, but Yami saw the minute shiver that worked down his spine quite clearly. Now was the time to go in for the kill.

"I don't know why you're fighting it so hard," he murmured, leaning his head forward so his breath would lick against Kaiba's ear. "There's nothing wrong with knowing what you want and taking it for yourself. Just admit that you're attracted to me."

"I have a multi-million-dollar company to run. I don't have time for this." Kaiba's voice was stern but already turning breathy. He was losing his resolve and quickly.

"There are plenty of people who work hard in the office and the bedroom, sweetheart." Yami darted his tongue out and flicked it over the other man's earlobe just barely. He saw another shudder work its way through the brunet's body and almost shuddered himself. Those delicious reactions were the most seductive part of it all. "It would only take a few mind-blowing hours out of your day."

Yami felt the hand holding his shirt unclench. It slid up his chest slowly and paused at his throat. Purple eyes never left searing blue for even a second. The hand slid up higher still and cupped Yami's chin. The Egyptian's heart fluttered as Kaiba's head descended down, down, down until their lips were just barely apart.

"Congratulations," the brunet whispered, his eyes blazing with heat so blue it was white, "you've found the only thing a nameless, insignificant shell of a man like you can offer me. I hope you're proud of yourself for betraying the honor you used to stand for in the name of a good lay. You say you came here to ask for my help, but we both know the truth: I don't work for free, and like any common whore on the street, you have nothing but your body to sell."

With that, Kaiba crushed their lips together into the most violent, smoldering kiss Yami had ever experienced. He felt almost smothered by the force of all the desire Kaiba was now pouring onto him, into him, against him in the form of soft lips, wrestling tongues, and greedy hands on his skin.

Below his fevered skin, however, he felt only ice. The brunet had no way of knowing his words were more than just a common insult; they branded the pharaoh like a red-hot iron. With every touch of flesh to flesh, Yami could feel himself being consumed. Everything all at once was eating away at him: his desires, Kaiba's desires, his uncertainty, and most of all, his sudden understanding that he needed the brunet's lust like he needed air. He needed someone to crave his presence of this earth. He hadn't the strength to live solely for himself yet. Even if it was just for sex, he needed for someone to need him.

The next thing he knew, Kaiba was pulling him forcefully onto his desk, reducing the space between their bodies to nothing. Yami allowed himself to be tugged like a dog on a leash, too lost in his own thoughts to care about salvaging his pride. The hands on his body left trails of fire in their wake. It was all he could do to keep breathing, let alone form coherent thought patterns.

Just as quickly, it was all over.

"I think that's enough for today," Kaiba breathed as he pulled away and began straightening his clothing. "Unlike you, I actually do have work to attend to. We'll have to reschedule for another time." He smirked and took a leisurely look up and down the Egyptian's lithe body. "Soon."

Yami kept his face as blank as possible. No matter how he felt inside, this was the moment that decided everything. "I think that can be arranged, assuming this means you agree to assist me in establishing an identity."

"I haven't agreed to anything yet."

Yami growled, and Kaiba held up one hand to stop him. "But I'd say you're well on your way to convincing me." The CEO turned away and strode back towards his wall of windows, assuming the same position that he'd been in when the pharaoh first arrived.

Yami took that as his cue to make a graceless exit, but just as he reached the door, he heard Kaiba call one final thing to him:

"Start thinking about what you want your last name to be."

Yami didn't respond. He needed time to be alone and had no idea what to do with himself. He left the office in a rush, not even bothering to nod to the receptionist on his way out. He couldn't return to Yugi's house without having to explain everything that had happened. He had discovered another new human flaw in himself already: pride. He couldn't let his friends see what he was becoming. The regal pharaoh that lived within him was crumbling away, and he couldn't bear to let anyone see it. He walked the streets in a dazed blur, paying only enough attention to keep himself from stepping in front of a car.

After what seemed like hours of mindless wandering, something caught his eye: a flashing neon sign pointing into the darkened doorway of a bar. It beckoned to him, and Yami started towards it almost subconsciously. With every step he took, he felt as if he were throwing himself straight into the gaping maw of a great beast, but he simply couldn't help himself. Peace, quiet, dark, anonymity: these were the things that waited for him inside the bar. These were the things he needed. If he couldn't soothe the maelstrom raging in his chest, he could at least numb it into submission for a few hours.

…

**Many Hours Later**

Yami stumbled into the Mutou household and cursed under his breath. It'd be a miracle if he made it to his makeshift bed on Yugi's floor without waking the whole neighborhood. He fumbled up the stairs and flinched at every creak in the floorboards. The click of the bedroom doorknob as he turned it might as well have been thunder to his pounding head. If he didn't get to a bed soon, he was going to collapse right there on the floor. His eyes were blurry, he smelled like a homeless person, and he knew he was going to feel it in the morning.

Yami glanced towards the bed on the far side of the room and saw the curled-up form of his friend. Yugi was lying perfectly still under his blankets except for the gentle rise and fall of his chest. The Egyptian offered up a prayer to anyone listening, because only divine intervention could have kept the little one from waking up and loading him with questions he just couldn't answer. He barely had time to slide off his jacket and shoes before he tumbled into a pile of blankets on Yugi's floor.

The second his head hit something made of fabric, he was gone to the world like he had never been before. The next few hours consisted of sheer black: the dreamless, death-like sleep that can only come to those who have pumped their bodies full of the finest depressants known to man. He would wake up in the morning with very few memories of that night and even less pride.

A small figure sat up in bed and glanced at the pharaoh's sleeping form. Yugi's eyes were hidden by the night, but had Yami been able to see them, he would have mourned the sorrow in their amethyst depths.

"Oh, pharaoh," Yugi whispered to the unconscious darkness, "you've saved me so many times. I only wish I knew how to return the favor."

…

…

**Author's Note:** Alright guys, we're all caught up. After this you can pretty much assume Yami sinks into his existential crisis and starts wildly binge drinking. I thought about writing a little more of that out, but this chapter is already 21 pages long, and you guys get the drift. Cue chapter one from this point on. If you want to go back and read the chapters chronologically, they're 2, 4, 6, 1, 3, 5. Simple, yes?

Please please please review me with your opinions about the fic. I have some ideas for how I want it to go from here, but I want to know what you guys like, dislike, want to see, can't stand, et cetera so I can get some inspiration flowing.

Also, I know I mentioned this last chapter, but considering I mentioned it before the steaming heap of sex and not after, I'm sure you all forgot. Listen to Don't Stop by Innerpartysystem. That song sounds like it was written by Kaiba himself, and the few people I know that listened to it agree with me that it should be his theme song.

Here's another rule from our drinking game:

**Rule Number Six: **Drink any time there is a glaring plot hole in the story that someone covers up with a completely unreasonable magical explanation. AKA: drink continuously throughout the movie.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: **We're back with another super fucking long chapter! Thanks to everyone who has been faithfully reviewing me! Reading your comments are always a joy, and I can't tell you how helpful it is when you pick out lines that you like. I'm hoping this fic will be able to hit 100 reviews if I write enough chapters. I only need about twenty more, and that would really make my lifetime. I already have well over one thousand hits, and that makes me smile. Yay for popularity! No review is too short or too long to make me smile, so please drop me a line. =D

**A few general comments: **there are no more flashbacks to the past, so there will be no more timestamps. Everything you read is happening in the present. Remember, if you want to read this story chronologically (which I have actually done a few times so I can check my continuity for errors), the chapters are 2, 4, 6, 1, 3, 5 and now 7. Also, I included an OC in this chapter for plot purposes. I don't think he's going to be an important character, but who knows. Maybe you guys will grow attached to him.

This fic is dedicated to **Teal, Gunslinger, and Dyan**. I adore you girls so much!

…

…

Kaiba. Was. _Furious._

Livid. Enraged. Wrathful. Fuming. Irate. _Mad mad mad mad mad mad._

It had been a long time since he'd felt this kind of unadulterated fury boiling in his chest. It was so scalding hot it almost gave him chills. He could feel his hands shaking minutely, and he gripped the steering wheel of his car so hard his knuckles turned white. His inability to control himself only made him more furious. Not only was this emotion unwelcome, it was indomitable. It was rare for Kaiba to really lose control, to really let someone get under his skin, but somehow or other, the vast majority of his bouts of rage were due to one man: Yami. Yami had handed him the most humiliating public defeats he had ever suffered, and now this.

The pharaoh's list of sins was growing longer by the day.

Yami had _left._ He hadn't gotten lost, or wandered off to explore, or gotten accidentally locked outside. He'd just _left._

The Egyptian had sneakily vacated the premises the second the brunet fell asleep like a thief in the night. As if that weren't bad enough, he'd only left one flimsy, six-word-long note behind to explain himself. It had taken the brunet hours to really comprehend what had happened. At first, he'd naturally assumed there was some kind of small disaster that had caused him to wake up alone in his bed instead of next to his beautiful new lover. Someone had died, something had caught on fire, someone was taken to the hospital… it was the only logical explanation. Yami simply couldn't have had a choice in the matter. No one would willingly abandon a sumptuous mansion akin to a fairytale castle if they didn't have to. Kaiba had honestly believed that he would have to kick the other man out at some point. Really, though, it was _Kaiba's mansion._ What moron wouldn't try their damndest to stay forever?

The pharaoh, apparently.

Clearly Yami didn't understand just how fortunate he was. Kaiba could almost forgive him for his ignorance, but he would have to wrap his brain around it first. Yami had actually been permitted to step foot into the CEO's home. He'd been allowed into Kaiba's bedroom and was also allowed to spend the night. He'd even claimed the ultimate honor of being the first person Kaiba had actually had sex with. All of these were rare luxuries granted only to the truly blessed…

…and yet he'd _left._

Kaiba had spent the first hour of his morning impatiently waiting for the spiky-haired teen to appear and apologize for not coming to his senses sooner. He'd spent the second hour trying to force himself to understand that Yami had departed of his own free will and because he _wanted to_. It was a nearly-incomprehensible concept to the arrogant CEO and one that made his brilliant mind do cartwheels. Kaiba then spent the third hour of his morning in a kind of cold, stunned anger that could only be compared to dunking his whole body into a tub of ice. Finally, he'd spent the rest of the day carefully avoiding contact with other humans as he raced through his work. If he'd heard so much as one off word from anyone at his office, he would have undoubtedly punched someone.

Hard.

This was simply unacceptable.

Kaiba felt… _used._ Just thinking the word disgusted him a little. He wasn't a vapid teenage girl in a high school drama on TV. He was Seto-mother-fucking-Kaiba: the antithesis of the common, hormone-driven teenager willing to jump into bed with any slimy loser just to get his rocks off. He had _dignity._ He had _class._ Most of all, he had the undeniable knowledge that ninety-nine percent of heterosexual females and homosexual males would cut off one of their limbs for the chance to be with him. He wasn't oblivious to the stares simply because he ignored them. Women and men of all shapes, sizes, and sexual appetites had been fawning over him since the moment he hit puberty, and if they weren't after him, they were certainly after his immense fortune.

"So why…" Kaiba muttered under his breath, "am I chasing after this one fucking whiny bastard?"

The brunet hit the accelerator as the building he was looking for came into view. He wrenched the steering wheel and skidded haphazardly onto a cracked slab of pavement that passed for a parking lot. He parked his work vehicle - a slick little candy red number - outside of a place he'd honestly hoped to never venture within five miles of again. It was the same bar he'd picked Yami up from the night before. He had to pause and think for a moment before he truly believed it had only been 24 hours since he'd literally yanked Yami out of his cesspool of misery. It seemed like an eternity of sweat-slicked skin and breathy moans had passed since then.

Then again, maybe it was simply because his work day had inched by one grueling second at a time. It was only years of discipline that kept him from leaving the office early to go find Yami and alleviate his frustrations on that pretty face of his… or body. He shoved that train of thought violently aside before lust could dull his rage. He wanted that trifling Neanderthal to see him at the height of his righteous fury. Then maybe he'd have the slightest inclination of who he was dealing with.

Kaiba hadn't even bothered to go home and change clothes before speeding off toward the bar. He was still dressed in his work attire: a black pinstripe suit - tailored to perfection and lined with maroon satin - a smoky gray silk tie striped with matching maroon fabric, and black leather Bruno Magli shoes that cost more than what most people spent on their entire wardrobe. He knew what this suit did for his skin tone, eye color, and the sensuous lines of his body. He saw it in the eyes of his secretaries as they watched him from afar and in the way his associates couldn't help but lean closer to him, as if they just wanted to breathe his air. This was the suit that told total strangers they were privileged just to get a glimpse of him. The effect was even greater at night: it transformed his whole body into one sinuous black pillar of class and seduction.

He would never admit to grabbing this suit on purpose when he dressed himself that morning, but it was certainly not one he usually wasted on ordinary days at the office. Kaiba could see nothing wrong with planning his evening accordingly: he knew he was going to confront Yami in a few hours and wanted to look damn good while doing it. The Egyptian had had the nerve to walk out on him, and now he needed visual proof of what a tremendous error he'd made.

In a quiet corner of his mind that Kaiba never revealed to anyone - not even his little brother - he knew he was being petty. He had no reason to give a flying fuck what Yami did with his time, where he slept, or how he felt about himself. He should have been grateful that the other man had had the decency to show himself out… but he wasn't. Something had changed when he'd woken up alone that morning. He couldn't understand why, but he almost felt like he cared what Yami thought about him. He'd always strived to present himself as a strong rival and brilliant businessman, but their current situation had nothing to do with dueling or his company. For all intents and purposes, it seemed like Kaiba was disappointed that Yami wasn't chasing after him like so many others had before.

He'd devoted his entire life to gaining the things that would mark him as a success: a flourishing company, an impressive title, and all the money he could ever spend. These were the things that he'd been instructed to seek since the day he was born. Everyone wanted fame. Everyone wanted riches. He didn't know any life other than one that sought these material possessions as if they were milestones, as if they somehow proved he was a worthwhile person. He had come to the conclusion long ago that there was simply nothing he couldn't have. Success had become boring now that it was virtually guaranteed.

Yami, however, had always proven to be the single wrench in an otherwise well-oiled machine. He'd prevented Kaiba from standing in the winner's circle time and time again, he'd forced him out of his well-grounded reality with stories of magic and an ancient pharaoh, and now he was making him realize for the first time in his life that his money didn't mean something to everyone. It meant nothing to Yami, and Kaiba couldn't stand it. He refused to believe that the Egyptian didn't want him when he'd already given him every reason to. It was… unthinkable. Rejection didn't sit very well with Kaiba, and he had every intention of ensuring he would never have to face it again.

The sight of the rundown building made the brunet's anger swell. He couldn't believe Yami would rather run off to this dump than spend his morning in Kaiba's bed. Stomping feet carried him to the bar's entrance, and the second he pushed the door open, he was hit by a wave of cigarette smoke, the odor of too many warm bodies, and raucous laughter. He paused for a moment, loathe to let the smoke soak into his beautiful suit - not to mention the sticky mess that was just waiting to ruin his shoes the second they touched the tile - but he ultimately swallowed his scruples and stepped inside. The door shut behind him with a dull thud that was lost amongst all the other noise. Most everyone inside was already too drunk to take notice of their surroundings, let alone the addition of one more person to the crowd. A few people shot Kaiba interested looks from their tables, but he ignored them.

Icy blue eyes scanned every shadowy nook, cranny, and crevasse for a particular unmistakable spiky head of hair. He spotted his target almost instantly; Yami was sprawled over a loveseat tucked against a back wall: his right leg was thrown over the armrest, the other was stretched out to the floor, and his left arm rested on the back of the couch. Much to Kaiba's chagrin, his other arm was wrapped around the waist of another person. A man with a feline face and a shock of fiery red hair was practically sitting in Yami's lap, looking much too cozy for the brunet's taste. They both had drinks in their hands and were laughing so hard their bodies shook together. The scene transformed Kaiba's anger from a crashing wave into a burning focal point like light shining through a magnifying glass. This was the kind of fury that felled empires and brought great kings to their knees.

Kaiba stalked towards the pair, using every ounce of will he had to restrain the wild desire to grab the redhead by his hair and hurl him as far away from Yami as he could. The Egyptian seemed to sense the presence of a predator, because a moment later his head snapped over and his eyes landed directly on Kaiba. The brunet expected him to look afraid - or surprised to see him at the very least - but Yami grinned from ear to ear.

"Well, if it isn't Seto Kaiba," Yami called over the music. "You're here much earlier than I expected, sweetheart. Pull up a chair."

Kaiba stopped right in front of the two and crossed his arms over his chest. "No thanks. I'm not going to be staying for long."

"Is this the new fuck buddy you were telling me about?" the redhead asked, his velvety green eyes sliding slowly up and down Kaiba's body. "Nice choice. He's fine as fuck." Kaiba felt his face darken with anger, but that only made the stranger's grin widen. "And he's feisty, too. The sex must be insane."

"Kaiba, I'd like for you to meet Gabriel," Yami smoothly cut in before the brunet could respond. "Or 'Gabe the Babe' as he is affectionately known around here. He's the bartender I've been staying with for the past few weeks."

The knowledge that Yami had been sleeping in the same house as this salacious "Gabe" individual filled Kaiba to the brim with an emotion he couldn't identify. He had no reason to dislike the redhead, yet he could easily picture dragging him out of the bar to the parking lot and grinding his face into the pavement. It was an odd form of possessiveness that he couldn't quite grasp. He would have to dissect it later once he'd hauled Yami out of this shithole.

Before Kaiba could speak again, Gabe rose fluidly to his feet, and the two men immediately began sizing each other up. The redhead was dressed in typical club wear: tight black vinyl pants, a slashed red tank top that exposed a few creamy inches of midriff, and a studded white belt slung around his narrow hips. He was almost exactly the same height as Kaiba but had a very different build. The brunet had broader shoulders but less overall muscle tone; Gabe lacked Kaiba's classic beauty and confident presence but had prettier coloring: dramatic red hair matched with stunning green eyes and flawless porcelain skin. It was difficult to compare them, like paintings from entirely different time periods: Kaiba was Baroque and Gabe was modern pop art.

Though both men were staring openly at each other, they were doing it for entirely different reasons. The CEO looked like he wanted to rip Gabe's throat out while the redhead looked as if he'd found a shiny new toy. He wriggled in place like an excited puppy as his eyes mapped the contours of the brunet's face.

He sidled up closer to Kaiba and ran a hand along one of his lapels. "Nice suit, babe. It'd look much better on my floor, though." He flashed a smile that was almost impish, revealing a dimple in each cheek. "Yami tells me you like to play with the big boys. You should stick around until my shift ends, and then maybe all three of us can head back to my place."

Kaiba opened his mouth to tell the pretty boy to fuck off, but Yami interrupted with a wry chuckle, "As much as I would thoroughly enjoy that, Gabe, you'll never get Kaiba to agree. He's kind of a prude."

The elfish boy's lips drew down into an adorable pout, "But I thought you said he and you…?"

"Just the once, and if I know his facial expressions as well as I think I do, he's pretty pissed that I ran out on him this morning without saying goodbye."

Gabe's pout became a wicked smile so quickly Kaiba blinked and missed it. "Aww, well isn't that cute. If I didn't know better, I'd think you deflowered him." Kaiba visibly restrained himself as Gabe swept a long look down his body again. "But then again there's no way a man this gorgeous made it to adulthood without _somebody_ tapping that."

Yami grinned and stood to join them, abandoning his drink on a nearby table. For the first time, Kaiba noticed that Yami was wearing one of his work shirts: a silk button-down striped with black and soft red. It even had the initials "K.C." stitched above the left breast pocket. He had to admit, it looked damn good on him. The sleeves were too long and had been rolled up with just the right amount of casual disregard. The top and bottom buttons had been left undone to expose a triangle of creamy chest and lower abdomen on each end. Yami looked like he'd just rolled out of bed and was dying for someone to drag him back in.

"Nice shirt, Yami." Kaiba smirked. "Steal that out of my closet this morning?" He hoped Gabe could hear him loud and clear.

Yami shrugged and smiled coyly. "I couldn't very well wear the one you shredded, and as much as I'm certain everyone here would love for me to walk around shirtless all day, that just wouldn't be decent."

"Since when do you care about being decent, babe?" Gabe laughed. Yami laughed with him, and Kaiba wanted to growl.

The redhead's attention turned back to him a moment later, and he smiled his devilish smile. "You should reconsider my offer, sexy. I can guarantee you a good time."

Kaiba studied the other man impassively. He could easily see that Gabe was attractive - he was probably considered smoking hot by a lot of people - but his brash sexuality and childish attitude did nothing for Kaiba's libido. At least Yami was clever with his sexuality, and he was aggressive enough to make things happen for himself. Gabe just slung pet names and pouty lips around until someone paid attention to him. He was precisely the kind of man the CEO could never be attracted to: just a pretty face with no killer instinct.

That didn't mean, however, that he couldn't give Yami a taste of his own medicine.

Kaiba stepped closer to Gabe, leaving their bodies just scant inches apart. Immediately, he saw green eyes widen with interest and felt a warm hand on his shoulder.

"Does this mean you've changed your mind, babe?" Gabe purred, running one hand teasingly up and down the brunet's chest.

"Perhaps I have." Kaiba smirked in a way that he knew made people want to beg him for more. There were hunters, and then there were the hunted, and the CEO was the absolute master of letting others know they were powerless to stop him. This, to the average person, was one of the most delicious sexual experiences known to man. He could already see it working on Gabe from the way his green eyes clouded over with lust; he pushed his hips invitingly forward and smiled enticingly.

Yami, much to Kaiba's surprise, did not look hurt or jealous as he watched the exchange. He looked… curious.

"You should give Gabe a kiss, Kaiba. He'll melt like putty in your hands if you do it correctly." Yami grinned at the redhead. "He's very… sensitive."

Kaiba almost demanded to know how he knew that, but he miraculously managed to keep his cool. Gabe looked positively delighted at the idea of kissing the brunet and even licked his lips. The CEO had no doubt the kiss would be good…

He just… didn't want to.

"Come on, Kaiba," Yami drawled, stepping closer to where the other two men were standing practically hip to hip. "Look at how pretty his lips are. Don't you want to taste them?"

The brunet stared at Yami's mouth instead, admiring the smooth forms it melted in and out of while he spoke. He wanted to win this game, but with the Egyptian standing close enough for Kaiba to catch the unique scent of his body - desert winds and woodsmoke - he just couldn't focus.

Gabe undoubtedly sensed that nothing was going to happen, because he gave Kaiba another one of his sexy pouts. "Unfortunately, I have to get back to work right now. I'll be back soon, though. You boys play nice." The redhead winked at Yami and reluctantly pulled away from them to head towards the bar in the center of the room.

As soon as he was gone, Kaiba grabbed Yami's arm and yanked their bodies together. The moment their skin came into contact, they both inhaled sharply and pressed hard against each other. The brunet slipped his arms around the other man's waist, and Yami threw his around Kaiba's shoulders.

"Nice to see you too," Yami murmured, tilting his chin up so his breath could tickle Kaiba's ear.

"I can't begin to tell you how absolutely furious I am with you," Kaiba answered with a throaty rumble. He felt the Egyptian shiver against him and almost shivered himself. They were feeding off of each other's raw sexual energy, and it was only going to grow more potent. "First you disrespect my home by leaving without so much as a thank you, then when I have enough courtesy to track you down like the petulant child you are, I find you with some leather-clad slut."

"My my my, Kaiba, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you're jealous."

Jealousy. That was the name for this emotion Kaiba couldn't identify. Millionaires didn't often have cause to feel jealous, and it came as a particular shock to the brunet. He quickly hid the surprise on his face and sneered at Yami. "Maybe I'm just upset you got to the sexy redhead first."

"Oh, so you do find Gabe attractive then?"

Kaiba grinned. "Would it bother you if I did?"

"Maybe, but that doesn't matter because you don't. I called your bluff to your face, and you still didn't kiss him." It was Yami's turn to smirk. "I knew you wouldn't from the start."

If there was one thing Kaiba hated, it was being predictable. "For once in the entire time I've known you, will you shut up?"

Yami obligingly stopped talking. They stood there for a moment in complete silence, just staring at each other. After several long minutes, something in Yami's body language changed. Kaiba could feel him tensing up from head to toe, and he started to slide his arms away from their position around his shoulders. Purple eyes were looking everywhere but at the brunet's face. He fidgeted under the steady gaze Kaiba had locked him under, his fingers twitching restlessly as if he wanted to use them to cover his face. This was the first time they had ever stood together without words or sex between them, and it was quite telling. Bit by bit, the brunet began to piece the truth together.

"You don't know how to act around people, do you?"

The question seemed to startle Yami. Amethyst eyes snapped over to icy blue. "What?"

Kaiba grinned and squeezed Yami's waist. The gesture was smug, not endearing. "You're unfamiliar with social situations, so you hide behind sarcasm and your bad attitude in the hopes that no one will notice how uncertain you feel. That's why you started frequenting dark bars: you don't want anyone to notice you, and the alcohol makes you brave. It's also why you turn to sex every time I question your actions: sex is easy, and most people are more than willing to be distracted by it. It's the only thing you still understand about the world. Unfortunately for you, I refuse to be manipulated."

Yami narrowed his eyes in an attempt to look unfazed, but Kaiba could easily see how much his words had shaken him. "I thought you didn't believe in the 'mind games' Yugi and I played on you about my past. The only way I wouldn't understand this world is if I wasn't born naturally into it, which is something you've consistently refused to believe."

"I've figured out by now that you honestly believe that bullshit you fed me, in which case it doesn't really matter what I think. It's your psychosis, not mine."

Yami bit back the urge to call Kaiba several nasty names that were roughly synonymous with "ignorant" and "Republican Presidential candidate." Really, the man could deny that the sun rose every morning if it suited him. "You're one to criticize me for my people skills, sweetheart. You said yourself that you don't have any friends, and it's always seemed to me like you'd rather talk to a hard drive than a real person."

The purple-eyed man rolled his hips enticingly against Kaiba's firm body. "As for the sex thing, maybe I just really like to get laid. For all you know, I act like this with everyone who picks me up at bars." His eyes flicked over to where Gabe was pouring drinks behind the bar, and Kaiba felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. It didn't matter if Yami was just looking at his friend or deliberately trying to imply something: he was going to regret it.

Yami's killer instinct must have kicked in, because before Kaiba could respond he went for the jugular. "I must say, it's a lot more fun when the men I meet don't want to talk about their _feelings_. Honestly, Kaiba, I can't imagine you really want me to open up. Then again they say that girls in love are the best in bed. Maybe you think I'll be a better lay if you can convince me you actually give a fuck about me."

"If I were you, I would _tread cautiously_," Kaiba hissed, "before making assumptions about my actions."

"I'm not making assumptions, sweetheart. I couldn't even begin to. You contradict yourself too much for me to even attempt it. One second you're telling me that you don't want to hear my 'sob story' and the next you're analyzing me like a fucking therapist. I didn't ask you to drag me out of this bar and into your bed, and I certainly didn't ask you to try and fix me like one of your goddamn machines."

"I don't remember hearing you complain last night," Kaiba hissed, digging his nails into Yami's waist. The Egyptian squirmed in his iron grip but otherwise refused to show his discomfort. "You certainly seemed like you were enjoying yourself to me, and considering the night I gave you, I think I've earned the right to call you out when you're acting like a fucking street whore."

"Well, guess what, sweetheart," Yami growled, "I don't owe you a goddamn thing. You're not entitled to a place in my life just because I let you fuck me. I thought I was safe because the impassive Seto Kaiba allegedly only cares about himself. Lo and behold, you end up acting like a jealous boyfriend when all I wanted was an easy lay. I'm glad we got the chance to work several years of sexual frustration out of our systems, but don't chalk it up to more than it was: hormones and pheromones. If I want to sleep around and drink myself into a stupor, that's my prerogative. I don't see how it's any of your fucking concern."

Something inside Kaiba snapped.

All of his pent-up rage and carefully controlled emotions broke from their restraints and flooded through him like molten metal. Yami must have sensed what was coming because his purple eyes flashed with fear and he tried to take a step back. Kaiba's grip around his waist couldn't be broken, though. The brunet's face grew pale, his eyes sparkled with something dark and primal, and his lips drew up as if to bare fangs.

"There are two honors in this world that belong solely to me," Kaiba whispered so quietly he was almost inaudible over the music. "One is defeating you in a duel, and the other is fucking you into oblivion. Apparently I need to remind you exactly who you're dealing with."

Yami started to retort, but Kaiba clamped a hand viciously over his mouth. The time for words was over. There was something thrumming deep within him, some bestial instinct he didn't know he had, and it was demanding action now. Yami had threatened everything that Kaiba held dear - his control, his confidence, his claim on the Egyptian man - and the brunet was going to make him pay. He slid his hand up from Yami's mouth and buried it in his hair, yanking back until his creamy throat was exposed. He would settle for nothing less right now than absolute submission. He started hauling the other man toward the back of the bar. The smaller teen hissed and tried to resist, but he couldn't pull away without increasing the painful pressure on his scalp.

"Kaiba, where are you taking me?"

"I'm going to wash that filthy mouth of yours out with soap."

Several people were staring at them as the CEO dragged Yami by his hair one struggling step at a time towards the bathroom, but no one dared to intervene. Something in Kaiba's eyes was positively murderous, and it activated the self-preservation instincts of everyone who saw them. No one was willing to be a hero in the face of such undiluted rage, and poor Yami was helpless to stop it.

Kaiba slammed the door to the bathroom open, tossed Yami inside, and then locked the door behind them. There were two sinks on the opposite wall, a long mirror above them, three empty stalls, and no one to interrupt them. The Egyptian managed to catch himself just before his momentum made him crash into one of the ceramic sinks. He spun around to face Kaiba and pressed himself as far back as he could. The only light came from a single flickering bulb overhead, and the deep shadows transformed the brunet's face into a threatening mask. Out of all the terrifying, death-defying situations Yami had been in, he'd never before felt so utterly ensnared.

Kaiba could practically taste the fear in the air. There was something undeniably delicious about having all of the power and knowing that Yami knew it too. He stalked forward one slow step at a time. The closer he got, the more he could see shivers racing through the Egyptian's body. The air between them was electric with a variety of emotions: anger, excitement, resentment, anticipation, needs and wants that couldn't be put into words.

"You can't tell me you don't feel it, Yami," Kaiba whispered, closing the last of the distance between them. He leaned over the other man and placed his hands on the rim of the sink behind him. The pharaoh pressed himself back to avoid contact, but he couldn't hide the desire that overcame him just from having Kaiba so close. They had been denying their chemistry for years, and now that they'd had a taste of a night together, they could never go back. "You can pretend all you want that you're just a typical bar whore, but we both know the truth: your body wants mine like no other. Your pretty lies don't fool me. You belonged to me the moment I decided I wanted you."

"I'm not one of your slick cars or gaming systems, sweetheart," Yami murmured back, shaking violently from the intensity of the emotions warring in him. He wanted the other man, but he also wanted his freedom. "You can't buy me, and you can't force me to be around you."

"I don't have to force anything." Kaiba drew one long finger slowly up the other man's torso from belly button to collarbone, and Yami bit back a moan. "I already have you precisely where I want you."

Kaiba closed his hand around the pharaoh's throat and slammed his head back into the mirror behind him. Yami cried out, but the sound was muffled by the brunet's hungry lips. Kaiba sucked Yami's bottom lip into his mouth and bit down until he tasted blood. The Egyptian gasped and tried to push him away, but Kaiba simply grabbed his wrists and forced them back against the mirror. He rubbed their bodies hotly together and licked blood from Yami's mouth, all the while the other man writhed against him. This was not going to be a gentle encounter - a meeting of two passionate lovers in the night; the twining of souls in felicitous union - this was going to be pure violence akin to two wild animals rutting in the dirt.

"Stop fighting it," Kaiba whispered, dipping his head to lick a hot line down Yami's neck. "You know you want it. You belong to me."

"I belong to no one," Yami growled, but he moaned when Kaiba bit down on the junction between his shoulder and neck. Against his will, his back arched and he pressed his body roughly against Kaiba's. He could feel the brunet smirking against his skin, sensing victory within his grasp.

"You can lie to me, but your body can't." Kaiba's breath was hot, much too hot, and he started laving sensuous kisses on every inch of the pharaoh's sensitive neck.

Yami felt the grip on his wrists loosen just the tiniest bit, and he seized his opportunity. He wrenched his arms free and shoved Kaiba with all his strength. The brunet stumbled back a few steps but caught himself before he could hit the door.

"Yami," Kaiba growled, "don't make me get rough with you."

The Egyptian wanted to tell him to fuck off, wanted so badly to punch him in his smug face, but the sound of Kaiba's deep voice and the sight of those supple lips forming the word "rough" - oh god any word but that - did him in. His own body was betraying him in the most unbelievable way. He knew he should escape from this mess while he still could: go back to Yugi's home and spend the next hundred years sleeping off his shame. A louder part of him, however, wanted exactly what Kaiba was offering: release from responsibility. He wanted to let Kaiba's needs overpower his own, wanted the other man to give him absolutely no choice in the matter. Then maybe he wouldn't feel guilty later when he admitted to himself that this was what he'd wanted all along. He needed for someone to take away his free will, to make the decision for him.

Kaiba was just the man for the job.

That didn't mean Yami was going to make it easy for him, though.

In an instant, Kaiba was invading his space again, pinning him against the sink with nothing but his own perfectly-sculpted body. The brunet lifted one finger and wiped a drop of blood from the corner of Yami's mouth. He brought it to his own lips and licked it carefully off, his sapphire eyes boring into the other man all the while.

"I hope I didn't hurt you too much, _snookums_," Kaiba sneered.

Yami smiled sweetly. "I'll just have to return the favor." Before the CEO could react, Yami dug his nails into the side of his neck and dragged them down, breaking the skin in four neat lines that immediately bubbled up with crimson. Kaiba hissed, and his eyes flashed with murderous intent. In a matter of seconds, he spun Yami around, grabbed a handful of his hair, and slammed the side of his face into the mirror over the sink. The Egyptian heard cracking glass and felt something dig into his cheek but couldn't pull back to assess the damage. Kaiba had his head pinned perfectly with the weight of one large hand. Yami gripped the edges of the sink to keep himself from sliding down and potentially lodging more broken glass in his cheek. There was nothing he could do for himself beyond that, and the knowledge made his whole body grow hot.

Now he was completely at Kaiba's mercy.

The brunet almost licked his lips; Yami was in quite the vulnerable position, and he looked _delicious._ His breath was fogging up the mirror, his hands were gripping the sink for dear life, and his legs were delectably spread to help him balance.

To put it simply, he looked positively fuckable.

Kaiba wasted no time in sliding one of his hands into Yami's shirt - his shirt, in truth - and raking his fingers along his toned abdomen. The spiky-haired teen gasped, and his breath left a splotch of fog on the mirror.

"Now I won't just hear you scream my name," Kaiba murmured, sliding his free hand down to unbutton Yami's pants, "I'll see it, too."

He pressed his hips forward so the other man could feel his unbearably hard erection. Yami pushed back against him and moved his hips in an enticing circle, making Kaiba gasp. He ground his fingers into the smaller teen's scalp and received a moan of pained pleasure in response. There was a dark need bubbling up inside him, the need to punish this man and make him beg for more. He wanted to tear scream after scream from Yami's lips and gobble them down. His appetite was all-consuming, and soon it would swallow them both.

Kaiba rolled his hips against his helpless prey and fumbled for the zipper on Yami's jeans. His other hand continued to grind the smaller teen's face mercilessly into the mirror, ignoring his mewls of pain. Yami was already trembling, and it only spurred Kaiba on. He was feeding off of the other man's submission; it turned him on like no other aphrodisiac in the world. This was what he hungered for: complete control and the right to take what was his with as much force as he wanted. This was what he needed. This was what he _craved_. This was what he was going to get.

Yami's jeans slid from his hips to pool around his ankles, leaving him completely exposed. Kaiba took a moment to admire the provocative sight before unbuckling his belt and sliding down his own dress slacks. He reached into the breast pocket of his suit and pulled out the same tube of lubricant that they'd used the night before. He deftly bit the cap off and spit it away.

"I have to let you go for this next part," he growled, squeezing the hand that was brutalizing Yami's hair. "Promise you'll behave."

Yami gasped as Kaiba's fingers made his already sore scalp burn but said nothing. This didn't satisfy the brunet at all. He forced the Egyptian's head so far back, his spine formed a perfect arch and they could look each other in the eye. Kaiba saw something that almost made him orgasm right then and there: pure amethyst clouded by lust and complete surrender.

"Tell me you'll behave," Kaiba breathed, his eyes never leaving Yami's. "Say you won't move unless I tell you to."

The Egyptian closed his eyes and shuddered before whispering, "I'll do whatever you say."

Kaiba smirked. "Good." He released his hold on the other man's scalp, and true to his word, Yami didn't move. He didn't touch his bleeding cheek or check it for broken glass. He just stood with his torso bent over the sink, his legs spread wide, and his hands still gripping the edges of the sink as if it were his only anchor to reality. He was trembling with need, and his breath came in ragged pants. He started to press his hips back against Kaiba, but the CEO shoved him back into place.

"I told you not to move," he growled. It was taking everything he had not to forego the lube and just fuck Yami as he was. The other man looked like he wanted it so badly, and Kaiba knew he must look just as hungry. Only common courtesy and the knowledge that no one deserved that kind of pain held back the snarling beast within him. It was tossing its head, beating against the feeble cage Kaiba tried to keep it in. It demanded satisfaction, demanded blood and satiation of his lust. Kaiba wouldn't be able to hold it back for much longer.

He squeezed a generous amount of lube onto his right forefingers and wasted no time in slipping them into Yami's body. The other man cried out and immediately pressed back against the invasive force. Kaiba couldn't decide which he wanted to watch more: Yami's bare body swallowing his fingers or his face in the mirror as desire twisted his expression into something so desperate it bordered on anguished. White-hot need flooded the CEO as he felt how tightly Yami's body was engulfing his fingers, how willingly it took them in and smothered them with heat. It was enough to drive a man insane.

He pulled his fingers reluctantly out of the other man and spread the rest of the lube on his blood-swollen dick. His precum helped slick the way, proof of how thoroughly and completely turned on he was. He caught Yami staring at him in the mirror and stroked himself leisurely. The Egyptian licked his lips on impulse but didn't dare ask for what he wanted. It would only make Kaiba taunt him more. As if reading his thoughts, the CEO reached around Yami's body and grabbed his erection, giving it a firm stroke from base to head. His moans rang in the brunet's ears, and Kaiba knew he wouldn't be able to take much more of this.

There was one more thing he needed.

He pressed his now lube-slick erection between Yami's thighs and slid it back and forth, taunting the other man with the knowledge that he was so close to getting what he wanted. Kaiba folded his body over the length of Yami's, pressing his flat stomach to the smaller man's back until their faces were side by side, their jewel-tone eyes staring at each other in the mirror. The brunet slid his free hand back under Yami's shirt while the other continued to stroke his dripping erection with aching slowness.

"You belong to me, Yami," Kaiba hissed, his eyes so dark with primal need they looked like the deepest stretch of ocean. "I want you to say it. I want you to scream it as I'm fucking you."

Yami shivered and tried to close his eyes, but Kaiba squeezed his dick almost painfully hard. The Egyptian jolted up with a gasp, and the brunet went back to stroking him slowly.

"Say it, Yami." Kaiba's voice resonated with the ravenous beast that was just waiting to be released. "You belong to me."

"I-ahhh, Kaiba," Yami had to bite back a moan as the other man began stroking him faster, sending currents of electricity shooting along his nerves. He sucked in a lungful of burning air and managed to groan, "I'm yours, Kaiba. I belong to you, ahhhh yes! You can do anything you want to me!"

With that, Kaiba positioned himself at Yami's entrance and sunk himself in to the hilt. They gasped together - two sets of eyes clenched tightly shut to absorb every sensation - and shuddered from the sudden rush of friction. The brunet pulled his hips slowly back before plunging himself into the other man's body again with even greater force. God, it was tighter than he remembered. So much engulfing heat, he could hardly stand how good it felt. He set a rough rhythm to the same beat as his pounding heart, pushing himself deeper and deeper until he thought he was going to lose himself in the pleasure crashing through him.

The bathroom echoed with moans as their voices blended together into something raw and bestial. Kaiba pounded mercilessly into Yami's body again and again, and the Egyptian gripped the sink so hard his hands went numb. The sound of crunching concrete filled the air, and both men realized blearily that they were yanking the sink off of the wall with the force of their movements. Nothing could stop them now, though. The walls could crumble around them and they wouldn't even notice.

They heard knocking on the bathroom door but didn't dare to stop. It didn't matter that someone was trying to get in. Nothing mattered but the feel of their bodies moving together, connected but as separate as the two minds now drowning in wicked heat. Kaiba felt his inner beast rear up and snap its fangs, reveling in the sheer domination he was exerting over the other man. The beast was breaking free, screaming for Kaiba to move harder and faster. He willingly obliged, and a snarl tore from his lips as crude feeling engulfed him. He was running on instinct alone: the instinct to conquer and claim what was his. He wanted not only the body being mercilessly plundered but the mind within it. He wanted Yami to be aware of who was giving him this pleasure, to know that it was Kaiba that was buried so deeply inside him.

The brunet opened his eyes and drank in a glorious sight: Yami's face in the mirror. His brow glistened with sweat, his eyes were clamped shut, and his lips were parted to release a wave of wordless moans that marred the mirror image with fog.

Kaiba turned his mouth towards Yami's ear and whispered, "Say what I want to hear, Yami." He shoved his length deeply into the other man's body to punctuate his point. Yami's whole body jolted up, and Kaiba knew he'd hit that sweet spot deep within him. "Tell me how much you like it."

The Egyptian groaned and rocked back against him frantically, seeking even more friction. "Ahhh, Kaiba, ahh ahh yes! You feel so good inside me!"

The brunet growled and felt his predatory nature overwhelm him for a moment. He wanted to end this now, and he shifted his hips so every thrust would hit the spot that drove his lover insane. Something hot and tight was coiling deep within him, and it begged for release. Not just yet, though. There was one more thing he wanted.

His hips picked up their feverish rhythm, plunging him in and out of the other man so fast the sink rocked furiously beneath them. If Kaiba fucked Yami any harder, they were going to burst a pipe for sure, but he kept his relentless rhythm regardless. "Tell me who's making you feel this way, Yami. Tell me who's making you moan like the fucking dirty slut you are."

Despite the fact that he was currently having his brains fucked out by a smolderingly sexy brunet, Yami picked up on what Kaiba meant almost instantly.

He licked his still-bleeding lip and opened his eyes to meet Kaiba's in the mirror. "Seto," he rasped, his voice ragged and more sexual than any combination of two bodies had ever been. "You're doing this to me, Seto, and _I_ _fucking love it_."

Kaiba lost himself completely.

There was nothing left of him but the physical incarnation of every ounce of lust he had ever felt. He became the hungry predator entirely, and everything about him darkened into the color of indulgence itself. He thrust wildly into the other man like a mindless machine, his every conscious thought centered on that ball of pure ecstasy deep within him that was beginning to spread outward. He vaguely heard Yami's moans rising in pitch and frequency, indicating the other man's impending orgasm, but he couldn't process the knowledge. He felt numb in a way that could only come from pure sensory overload. His instincts took over and kept him going long after his body should have failed. He was running on sheer adrenaline now, and the pleasure pumping through every his every sinew was blinding.

Something drew taut within him - a fine silver string that resonated with pure feeling - and then it snapped.

Kaiba was engulfed in lightning: raw energy that shattered his very senses into shreds of their former selves. He sucked air into his lungs and felt it reverberate against his ribs. He was shaking but he couldn't care. For a fraction of a second, the world turned white and was made of so much good it was painful. Then it all came crashing down, and he was shuddering through the greatest pre-orgasm aftershocks he had ever endured. They rocked him from head to toe and reduced his body to basic survival functions: breathing and blinking.

When his senses finally returned to him, he saw Yami had collapsed against the sink and was shaking violently. His eyes were open but unseeing. He looked as if he'd experienced something very similar to Kaiba's orgasm.

The brunet pulled himself out of Yami's body and sank slowly to his knees, unable to support his weight any longer. The smaller man slid down to the floor as well, though his hands seemed to be incapable of releasing their grip on the sink.

"That…" Yami wheezed, his lips trembling, "…was… epic."

Kaiba managed to weakly pull his pants up but otherwise didn't respond. The knocking on the door had gone away, but he had no doubt that anyone within ten feet of the bathroom had heard them. They were probably going to have to take quite the walk of shame out of the bar when they finally emerged. He rubbed his temples and sighed. He'd always assumed he would never be one of those classless people who couldn't wait to fuck until they got home, but a lot had changed in the past 24 hours.

He glanced over at Yami and saw that the man was studying his fingernails. They were stained brown with dried blood. Kaiba immediately touched his neck and hissed. He'd forgotten about that. He would have to have his suit cleaned immediately to keep the blood from staining. There were crimson droplets on the floor here and there and even a few splatters on the sink, which was now hanging lopsided off the wall. Anyone who came in here after them was going to think there had been one a hell of a fight.

Yami sighed and clambered awkwardly to his feet, pulling his pants up as he went. "As much as that was amazing, I'm still pissed at you, for the record."

"What the fuck?" Kaiba got up as well, though he managed to do so with a measure of grace that the Egyptian immediately resented. "I'm the one who should be pissed at you, _snookums_."

"You bit me."

"You scratched me."

"You cut my cheek."

"The mirror did that, actually."

Yami rolled his eyes. "This is really mature." He glanced at his bloodied fingernails again. "I'm pretty sure what we just did is illegal in many countries. That was the most violent sex I've ever had, not that that's saying much."

Kaiba quirked an eyebrow, silently asking for an explanation.

Yami ran a hand through his tousled hair and grimaced when his hand encountered his sore spot. "If it makes you feel any better, I haven't slept with Gabe. I haven't slept with… anyone…" He let the end of his sentence trail off into silence. The meaning was implied.

_Except for you._

Kaiba wanted to say he felt relieved, but he honestly had no idea what he felt right now. He wasn't used to dealing with emotions. He just wanted to crawl into bed and wait for the whole-body soreness that would surely greet him in the morning.

"Come on," he grunted, turning towards the door. "Let's go."

"Where?"

"Don't be stupid." Kaiba looked over his shoulder at the other man. "My place."

Yami didn't budge. He simply stood there with his eyes fixed very solemnly on Kaiba's face. He looked a lot like the man Kaiba remembered dueling many times, the regal entity with the grace and wisdom to rule an empire as old as the sands themselves. "Why should I go with you?"

The brunet turned around and closed the distance between them. This time, there was nothing threatening or violent in his posture. He simply wanted to be closer. Kaiba placed one finger under Yami's chin and tilted his head up. He leaned his head down and brushed their lips lightly together. Yami realized it was the first time they'd actually kissed that night.

"Come home with me…" Kaiba looked like he was struggling a little, "…please."

Yami couldn't help himself. His face broke into a wicked grin. "Well, since you said the _magic word._"

"Shut the fuck up."

"Really, that was adorable. Now I feel like giving you a hug."

"I said _shut the fuck up._"

"You know something, doll face?" Yami sauntered over to where Kaiba stood, looking positively devilish. "I think you bring out the absolute worst in me."

The brunet smirked and wrapped an arm around the smaller teen's waist. "I'm not usually one for optimism, but I like to think I've always brought out your best and vice versa. That's what makes us champions."

Yami looked thoughtful. "I suppose that's a fair assumption. You've always been there to kick my ass when I needed it." He glanced back at the cracked mirror and demolished sink behind them. "Quite literally."

"Someone had to knock some sense into you. I hope you've learned your lesson about wasting your time in trashy dumps like this."

Yami laughed. "I've been trying for a long time to figure out how we got ourselves into this mess, and I think you just gave me the answer. You reminded me of something you told me a long time ago."

Kaiba quirked an eyebrow again. "Hmm?"

"Even I think it's nice to have company sometimes."

…

…

**Rule Number Seven: **Drink anytime Tea fails to be an interesting character.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: **I'm baaaaaaaaaaaack! Hopefully none of you thought I disappeared. I informed just about everyone who reviewed me that this chapter was going to take a little longer, so most of you should have been aware. (That's an added bonus of reviewing, by the way. I reply with the expected date of my next update. Enticing, yes?) On that note, I have to move back to my college town and start classes on the 23rd of August, so this is going to be the last update until I'm settled in. I figured out the next three or so chapters worth of plot and a general ending that will happen at some time in the near future. That should be just vague enough to satisfy you all. :D Thanks to all my wonderful readers! I couldn't do this without you guys.

This fic is dedicated to **Teal, Gunslinger, and Dyan**. I adore you guys so much!

…

…

Kaiba sighed heavily and rubbed his temples. He could already feel a fierce headache coming on, throbbing with every beat of his heart. This was quite easily the longest day of his young life, and it was only half over. The door to his office was cracked, and he could hear muttering in the hallway outside. He managed to pick up on a few snippets of conversation, things like "Scandalous", " …good-for-nothing street punk…", and "Shacho must be out of his…". All in all, Kaiba couldn't say his employees were terribly off the mark. He'd made an egregious error when he'd invited Yami to his office that day to help him with creating his identity. The CEO knew the process would take several hours - possibly days if something regarding his company came up - and had made the fatal mistake of assuming his new lover could behave himself for that length of time.

Kaiba heard a stream of loud curses out in the hallway and grimaced. A second later, Yami kicked his door open and strode in with a smug look on his face. He was carrying two steaming cups of coffee in his hands, and he set one of them on the brunet's desk as if it were some kind of trophy.

"Here's your coffee, _darling heart_," Yami cooed in a syrupy voice that made Kaiba's frown deepen.

"How many of my secretaries did you assault in the process of obtaining that?"

"Seven secretaries, five district managers, two accountants, and one very puzzled janitor named Enrique."

Kaiba folded his hands in his lap to stop himself from folding them around the Egyptian's neck. "I didn't realize grabbing a cup of coffee was the same as declaring war."

Yami shrugged and flopped into one of the armchairs across from Kaiba's desk, miraculously managing not to spill a single drop of his own coffee. "They wouldn't stop making snide comments about me as if I couldn't hear them. I just wanted to let them know my hearing is perfectly fine." Yami smiled sweetly and took a dainty sip of his coffee. Kaiba's headache intensified.

"Can you blame them? You waltzed into a place of business wearing _that._" He flicked a long finger toward Yami's ostentatious interpretation of clothing.

His chest was barely covered by a fishnet top held together by strips of shiny black vinyl. Each strip was cinched with a silver buckle shaped like a skull that matched the large buckle on the black belt hanging from his hips. To top it all off, he'd squeezed himself into the tightest leather pants Kaiba had ever seen, and they were an alarming shade of fire engine red. The boots on his feet were black with red trim and looked like they were meant for stomping on zombies in a B-list horror movie. Despite the flashiness of the outfit, Yami looked as though he were born to wear it: the netting made his white skin glow, the red accented his eyes, and the tight fit clung to every muscular curve.

Admittedly, Kaiba would have salivated over this outfit had it not come prancing into his beloved company. He generally preferred a more refined style involving Italian brand names and four-figure price tags, but insane goth-wear had always been his guilty pleasure. Plus, he could plainly see everything from the bulge in Yami's pants to both of his dusky-colored nipples, and it was making it nearly impossible to concentrate.

Yami was quite aware of the provocative nature of his clothing, if his grin was any indication. "From the look on your face when I first walked in, I assumed you liked my outfit."

Kaiba blatantly ignored the truth of that statement. "Where did you even get that ridiculous getup? I find it hard to believe that innocent little Yugi had anything of the sort in his closet."

Yami leaned back in his chair and tossed one leg carelessly over an armrest, causing the already tight leather to stretch and leave literally nothing to the imagination. For a moment, Kaiba lost the ability to breathe. Then the Egyptian answered him, "I borrowed it from Gabe. I told him about the crowd that likes to hang in this part of the city, and he refused to let me return until I could outdo them all. He's fiesty when it comes to fashion."

The CEO growled and stood up, walking towards his wall of windows to hide the anger on his face. "I make a point of having those street punks arrested if they come near my office. And when did you have a chance to raid that club skank's closet? You've been sleeping at my place for the past two weeks."

Yami studied the other man's back, the grin slowly fading from his face. The brunet was looking positively stunning in an off-white suit and lavender silk dress shirt that brought out the color of his eyes. As he watched him, Kaiba ran a hand through his hair only to have his bangs fall softly into his eyes. He looked very… human.

"Until I secure an identity and either enroll in school or get a job, I don't have a lot of ways to occupy myself during the day," Yami answered slowly, knowing that if he didn't word this the correct way, he was going to start an argument. "It's not a problem at night because you provide me with plenty of entertainment," he saw Kaiba smirk and knew that he had succeeded in softening the mood, "but unfortunately that still leaves me with a lot of hours to fill, and it's not like I can loaf around your house for the rest of my life."

"You technically could," Kaiba answered matter-of-factly. "Obviously I have the means of providing for a large household."

Yami rolled his eyes. No wonder so many women were convinced they could win Kaiba's heart. If he had said that to any of the dumb broads in his office, they would have assumed it was an open invitation for them to move right in with him and start planning out their future together. The Egyptian knew better and took it for precisely what it was: Kaiba was establishing the grandeur of his empire as he was often wont to do.

"I'm not questioning your capacity to act as a bread-winner, sweetheart. I'm questioning your desire. I, for one, have no intention of staying locked up in your house all day like a pet, and I know for a fact that you wouldn't tolerate that kind of lethargic behavior from anyone, including Mokuba."

Kaiba didn't deny it.

Yami continued, "As such, I will continue to spend my days as I please, regardless of how you feel about the company I keep. I would do the same with my nights had you not shown on several occasions that you're perfectly willing to literally drag me out of clubs by the scruff of my neck."

Kaiba chuckled merrily, obviously replaying that particular memory in his head with a sense of fond recollection. "I really thought you were going to press charges that time."

"I very nearly did, but luckily for you I like it rough."

"I've noticed." Kaiba's voice took on a deep, sultry quality that made Yami shiver. He restrained himself from responding with an equally sexual comment until they got at least a little work finished.

"Speaking of which, I can't have you arrested for numerous counts of aggravated assault if I don't exist. How's all the paperwork coming?"

"Slowly." Kaiba turned around and came back to his desk now that he had himself under control. As much as he feigned aloofness, Yami wasn't far from the truth when he called him "controlling" and a "jealous boyfriend." He'd always been incredibly possessive and territorial, not to mention competitive to a fault. He supposed it was a result of working himself to death for six years in order to obtain everything he had. He would never let anyone take so much as a sock from him if he could help it.

He glanced down at his computer screen and pressed a few keys; there were several pages of pdf documents open, all of which needed to be filled in. "I'm tempted to make you the seventh son of impoverished circus performers, but that would only embarrass me when I strip you of your title in the next Duel Monsters tournament. Beating a plebian gives me little pleasure."

"You're forgetting one key detail, sweetheart. Though Yugi and I won the title 'King of Games' together, it belongs to him in name. I have no title for you to win."

Kaiba glanced up. "Actually, that won't be the case for much longer. I spoke to Yugi on the phone earlier today before you arrived, and he's willing to relinquish the title to you."

Yami's mouth dropped comically open. "You spoke to Yugi? How is he?"

"We didn't exactly exchange pleasantries. Do focus on the important part here: you're going to become the new King of Games."

Yami's mind was too busy reeling with thoughts of his young friend to think of anything else. He hadn't seen him in… God, how long had it been? He'd gotten so tangled up in his new life - and Kaiba's sheets - he hadn't even managed to let everyone know he was still alive.

Kaiba must have understood his shock, because he gave him a few moments to collect himself before he continued. "Yugi is preparing to leave for college in a few months, and though he intends to continue playing Duel Monsters, he says he will no longer be doing so competitively. As a result, he's willing to make a public statement claiming that the press misinterpreted some of the footage from your duels, such as when you battled Duke Devlin. You two look similar enough that the general public will believe a mistake could have been made. Once we publish your face in every major newspaper for comparison to the videos of your duels, everyone will clearly be able to see that it was you dueling and not him."

Yami felt a little sick inside. Though he did often take control during their duels, Yugi was always with him every step of the way. They had only gained the title in the first place through beating Pegasus together. Even worse was the knowledge that he'd had no idea Yugi was thinking of quitting, or that he was going to be leaving for college soon. It made sense, considering he was the proper age, but still… even Kaiba had found out before him.

"Before we deal with any of that, however," Kaiba continued, sounding more and more business-like by the minute, "we have to finish all of this background information. I'm thinking simple will be better: you're the only son of now-deceased, middle-class parents and went to nondescript public schools all your life. I'll do you a favor and make you an excellent student in case you decide to go to college. After this Duel Monsters announcement, however, you can probably duel professionally for the rest of your life, as many top ranked duelists do. I believe that was how your friend Mai Valentine made her living for many years."

Yami nodded, but he was barely listening. His attention was divided between the velvety sound of Kaiba's voice and the cold ache throbbing in his chest whenever he thought about the friends he hadn't seen in weeks. He began to wonder if they would even recognize him anymore.

The phone on Kaiba's desk rang, its shrill cry slicing into Yami's thoughts.

The brunet answered it with a gruff, "What?"

A few moments of silence passed, then Kaiba frowned. "You know I never attend those ridiculous things, Roland. I specifically instructed you to decline the invitation."

Yami perked up a little and watched as Kaiba's frown turned sharp like broken glass. Whatever Roland was discussing, it was obvious his boss was displeased. It must have been pretty serious if he'd risked evoking his boss's fury by not precisely following his orders.

"Don't pull that 'good publicity' bullshit with me," Kaiba growled. "That didn't convince me back when Kaiba Corp was just starting out, and it's certainly not going to now that we're a household name." He paused abruptly as if Roland had nearly interrupted him, and now Yami's curiosity was truly piqued. What could be so important that a loyal henchman would speak up to his wrathful overlord?

Kaiba's eyes darted over to Yami, and the Egyptian got the distinct impression that he was being discussed. From the look on the beautiful brunet's face, he wasn't entirely certain he liked it.

"Now that is an interesting proposition," the CEO drawled, leaning onto his desk and staring at Yami. The smaller teen leaned back in his chair a little, as if trying to distance himself from a threat. Kaiba was getting that look in his eyes that made him feel like helpless prey. It was normally incredibly sexy, but right now it only heightened his apprehension.

"Actually, he's sitting in front of me right now." Kaiba walked around the desk until he was in front of Yami and then leaned against it. His burning eyes never left the other man's face, leaving no doubt in his mind that he was indeed being discussed. "He won't refuse. I'll make the necessary arrangements."

The brunet reached behind him and hung up the phone without another word. When he turned back around, he was grinning in an alarmingly wolf-like fashion. Yami wanted to melt into the floor under the intensity of that sapphire stare. He waited for the other man to explain himself, but Kaiba merely crossed his arms and continued studying him as if he were a particularly delectable chunk of meat.

Yami fidgeted, ran his fingers through his hair, crossed his legs, and uncrossed them again. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. "Well, sweetheart, I gather you have some news for me."

"Your powers of observation are truly astounding." Kaiba's tone was a beautiful blend of ridicule and manic delight. "Kaiba Corp is releasing a new gaming prototype - an upgraded version of our Battle City Duel Disks - and as a result we're throwing a gala of sorts to promote it. All of our majors partners and rivals will be there, along with all the big-name duelists in the world. I usually don't attend these events because they always turn into a giant pissing contest: who won what tournament, who's company just released the most profitable new game, who brought the sleaziest large-breasted model as their date, et cetera. However, Roland had an interesting suggestion."

"I'm all ears, babe."

"Roland suggested that if you and I were to show up to demonstrate the new product, the media would go wild. He's correct, of course; we're the most infamous rivals the game has ever known. We're practically synonymous with Duel Monsters itself. Plus, this would be an excellent opportunity to induct you into your new role as King of Games."

"When is this little soiree?"

"Next Saturday."

Yami squirmed uneasily, partially because of the idea of attending a stuffy office party on steroids and partially because this seemed awfully… fast. He needed to find a way out of this.

"But the paperwork for my identity isn't complete yet. You can't introduce me if I don't exist."

"I can have enough of it finished to satisfy the media. Your background information and general demographic will be available to the public. We'll hide your lack of a last name by disguising it as a secret, kind of like having a stage name, so to speak. The mystery of your true identity will only make the media circus more wild."

Something seemed slightly strange to Yami. He let the foreign feeling nag at the back of his mind for a moment while he sifted through its core. A lesser man would have called this feeling instinctual, but the Egyptian knew it for what it was: a keen sense of perception. It was what made him a natural duelist; he could get an idea of his opponents' true thoughts and feelings from their body language alone. Right now, Kaiba's words and body were telling him two completely different stories.

"Kaiba… what's your real reason for doing this?"

"I just told you."

"No, you didn't. A moment ago on the phone you told Roland that publicity means nothing to you. Obviously you've never gone to these parties for the sake of media hype before, so why are you suddenly jumping at the opportunity just because you have a chance to drag me down with you?"

"Very perceptive, _snookums._ I admit my motivations are slightly less than pure."

Yami stood up, bringing him nearly face to face with the other man, and placed his coffee on the desk behind him. Kaiba's lips twitched up faintly but he kept his seat on the edge of his desk. The Egyptian drew closer, and immediately the air between them sparked with raw electricity. Both men stifled the urge to inhale sharply; how easily their bodies reacted to each other would probably never cease to startle them. It was chemistry unlike anything that could be found in a stale laboratory. It was potent and animalistic like the balmy jungle air itself. Yami drew one finger slowly up Kaiba's firm torso before he placed his hand lightly on his chest.

"Why don't you just tell me what you're planning, sweetheart?" His voice was nothing more than a silken whisper. "I'm already aware of it, so there's no sense in hiding it from me."

"Are you trying to seduce me into confessing?" Kaiba countered with his own sexy rumble. Yami had to bite his lip to keep from shivering, and he saw the other man's smoldering eyes dart down to his mouth.

"I'm seducing you because I want to," Yami let his hot breath tickle Kaiba's cheek as he moved even closer, leaving barely an inch between them, "and you're going to tell me because it's working. If you insist on keeping secrets from me, I might suddenly discover I'm not in the mood anymore."

"You're always in the mood." Kaiba uncrossed his arms and gripped the Egyptian's hips. "I've been late to work three times this week because you can't make it through breakfast without yanking me onto the table."

"Don't try to change the subject, sweetheart," Yami purred, slipping one long leg between the brunet's. The sound of their clothing rubbing together was pure erotica. "Why do you want to go to this gala so badly? Surely you're not trying to take me out on a date."

He'd meant the statement to be a joke, but Kaiba answered seriously, "Something to that effect."

Yami's mouth dropped open with surprise. The brunet took advantage of his shock and sealed their mouths together in a passionate kiss. The pharaoh responded automatically to the succulent touch, but his mind was still reeling.

Kaiba pulled back a moment later, his lips reddened and his hair falling carelessly into his eyes. He looked stunning. "It dawned on me while I was talking to Roland that obviously someone has noticed how much time we've been spending together. Why else would he have thought to suggest I bring you to the party? My house is big, to say the least, but someone was bound to notice you coming and going at all hours of the night and day and make the logical conclusion. It's going to get out eventually that you and I have an interest in each other beyond the dueling arena, and when it does I don't want the media painting you as some cock-hungry slut." Kaiba looked down at Yami's clothes and frowned. "Regardless of how well you dress the part."

Yami finally recovered enough from his shock to speak. "Why do you care so much about my reputation? You hardly need to protect my virtue."

"Oh, but I do. Like I said before, defeating a plebian brings me little pleasure, and the same goes for any man of ill repute. I won't have my victory tainted by rumors of a salacious encounter. Besides, it takes two to tango, and if you make it into the tabloids, I'm going to be dragged down along with you. The way I see it, appearing in public together serves multiple purposes: it protects your 'virtue' as you put it, it promotes my company…" Kaiba gave Yami's hips a possessive squeeze, "and it lets everyone in the world know that you won't be in any bed tonight but mine."

The pharaoh shivered minutely at the tone in the Kaiba's voice. There was something almost frightening about him when he spoke like that, but he'd being lying if he said it didn't turn him on. "I'm surprised you're not trying harder to keep it a secret."

"Secrets are an antiquated concept. The harder you try to rein them in, the more explosively they escape." Kaiba gave his body a leisurely once-over. "Besides, it's not like I'm ashamed of what we do."

"The great Seto Kaiba is never ashamed, I imagine."

"Give me a little more credit than that, _snookums._" Kaiba wrapped his long arms around Yami's waist and pulled their bodies roughly together. "You're a brilliant strategist and a beautiful man. I wouldn't be wasting my valuable time with you if you weren't worth it. If you know nothing else about me, you should at least know this: I am not one to be led astray by foolish desires and half-hearted whims. I'm keeping you around for a reason, and I always expect my investments to be profitable."

For the third time that day, Yami was rendered momentarily speechless. He had naturally wondered what motivated the perpetually-frigid Kaiba to show a sudden sexual interest in him - let alone such a voracious one - and the quandary had thus far proved unanswerable. Now he was beginning to piece it together. He'd always known that the stunning brunet was much more emotional than most people gathered; he'd seen Kaiba's passion for himself time and time again when they faced each other on the battlefield. He'd seen his anger, he'd seen his hope, and more importantly he'd seen his compassion in the way he interacted with his little brother. Kaiba was far more than the well-oiled machine he presented to the world, and just now Yami felt as though he'd been allowed to crack open his metal shell and take a peek at the gears beneath.

The Egyptian grinned. "My my my, Kaiba, that almost sounded like a confession."

The brunet rolled his eyes. "Don't flatter yourself."

"True, you've done enough of that for the both of us."

Kaiba made a disgusted sound and started to pull away, but Yami rolled his hips in just the right way to make him change his mind. The heat between them immediately shot up by at least a hundred degrees.

Yami heard a low moan in the back of the other man's throat and licked his lips. "How sturdy is that desk of yours, sweetheart?"

"Not sturdy enough," Kaiba murmured, flexing the arms around Yami's waist as if he simply couldn't pull their bodies close enough. "Beyond that, I have more class than to have sex in my own office, tempting as the idea is."

"That is truly a shame," the pharaoh purred. Flattered as he was by Kaiba's words, he was already formulating a plot to get himself uninvited to the gala. "I was going to agree to go to your stupid party under the condition that you bent me over this desk right here and now, but I guess I'll just have to decline."

Kaiba growled, and for a moment Yami couldn't tell if it was from anger at his refusal or desire. Then he saw a tremor run through the taller man's arms and knew he was only barely restraining himself from doing precisely what he'd suggested.

The Egyptian smirked victoriously. Now he would make Kaiba an offer he could never accept. "I'll make a new deal with you, sweetheart. I'll agree to go to your gala… but only if I can bring a few guests."

Kaiba glanced up, his eyes still darkened with lust. That look never failed to sear straight into Yami's soul. "What kind of guests?"

"Oh, just a few friends that you're well acquainted with: Yugi, Joey, Tea, Tristan-"

Kaiba cut Yami off with a growl that was definitely angry this time. "You're not bringing that mob of unrefined hooligans to a dignified event. I'm trying to promote my company, not completely disrepute it."

Yami's smile was gleeful. The brunet had done exactly what he'd wanted. "Then I guess we're both off the hook. I won't go without them, and I know you don't want to go. That settles that then." He pulled back a little and stretched his arms leisurely above his head, satisfaction evident in his posture. "I guess we dodged that bullet. I knew you'd never agree."

Unfortunately for the pharaoh, the best way to get Seto Kaiba to do something was to suggest he wouldn't.

"I suppose it wouldn't be so bad," the young CEO mused out loud, causing Yami to freeze in place. "Assuming those commoners can afford proper formalwear, they'll probably go unnoticed. These events are always so boring anyways. Perhaps bringing along some amusing company is a good idea after all."

Yami tilted his head down to look at Kaiba one shocked inch at a time. "You're kidding."

The brunet was grinning like a wolf again. "I've never been more serious."

Yami let his arms fall limply to his side, a picture of defeat. "The world has truly gone mad."

"You and your flair for the dramatic."

The Egyptian sighed and let his head fall onto Kaiba's shoulder. He breathed deeply without even thinking about it. He could never get quite enough of the other man's scent: an enticing combination of expensive cologne, soap, musk, and that intangible, luxurious _je ne sais quoi._

"You're going to make me wear a suit, aren't you?"

"Yes, and I'm going to love every minute of it."

Yami muttered something under his breath that was only heard by the CEO's lapel. Then he lifted his head and pressed a surprisingly chaste kiss to Kaiba's lips. "Fine. I suppose I'll run along and tell the others then. You need to get all that paperwork finished before next week, and I get the feeling I'm only going to distract you." He took the brunet's silence as a resounding affirmative. "Try not to miss me too much while I'm gone."

"My heart will surely burst from the agony."

Yami chuckled. He must be rubbing off on him, because Kaiba's sarcasm had improved greatly in the past few weeks. "If I'm lucky, I won't even make it out of the building, and then I won't have to go to this stupid thing after all."

"Why wouldn't you make it out? Our security is top of the line."

"Your fan girls are probably going to slaughter me the second I step outside."

Kaiba quirked an eyebrow at him. "What fan girls?"

"You know, all those catty young secretaries that obviously only got jobs here because they thought a tight pencil skirt and ten pounds of eyeshadow would make you propose marriage on the spot."

The CEO chuckled. "My staff at home may have put two and two together, but I highly doubt any of my employees are sharp enough to figure out they have a reason to be jealous of you."

Yami grinned devilishly. "If they didn't know before, they certainly do now."

Kaiba's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Explain yourself."

"I left the door to your office open when I came back from getting coffee."

Kaiba's head shot up in disbelief. Sure enough, the door to his immense office was standing wide open, and several pairs of disbelieving eyes were peering in from down the hall. The brunet immediately released his possessive hold on Yami and stepped back, but the damage was done. As soon as they knew they'd been spotted, the crowd of twenty-something women dispersed, and the sound of angrily-clicking stiletto heels filled the air.

"Have a good day at work, _darling heart_," Yami chirped, planting a kiss on Kaiba's cheek. He waltzed out of the office with a spring in his step, completely ignoring the feline glares burning into him from every angle.

Much as he didn't like being roped into this gala bullshit, he couldn't help but feel as if he'd had a truly productive day.

…

…

**Rule Number Eight:** Drink any time someone makes a terrible pun.


	9. The Forgotten Chapter

**Author's Note:** Does anyone else have a nearly inexplicable propensity for being carried away on a whim? Well, I do! I had no intention of including a chapter about this, but then the idea popped into my head, and the next thing I knew my fingers were flying voraciously across my keyboard. I'm exhausted, and yet here I am writing in the dead of night when I have class tomorrow. You guys had better show me some love for this, ha ha. I think I'm going to title this 'The Forgotten Chapter' or something equally dramatic. Seriously, this was about as unintentional as it gets. You're going to love it, though.

I am dedicating this particular chapter to my personal muse (her name might be Katie, but that is yet to be determined). Clearly she had an incredibly pervy dream at some point and decided to insert it (sex joke intended) into my head. You have her to thank for this chapter.

Also, **I hit 100 reviews!** Thanks to my 100th reviewer: Zadarangs. I was so delighted, I updated early for you guys. =D

…

…

The city was a veritable maelstrom of activity, like an anthill that had been disturbed. Droves of pedestrians crowded the sidewalks, and cars inched along the streets like herds of metal beasts. It was the first truly gorgeous day of the season: not a cloud in sight, breezy enough to combat the heat from the sun, and the sky was so blue it looked surreal. It seemed every member of Domino's population was taking advantage of this unseasonably beautiful day. Children skipped by the sides of their parents, couples strolled the streets hand-in-hand, and chattering groups of teenagers hovered aimlessly on every street corner.

Two individuals in particular looked glaringly out of place in this picturesque scene. One lounged against the front of a little boutique with his long arms crossed over his chest and his left leg crooked to place the bottom of his boot against the wall. His feline green eyes were watching his companion pace back and forth from beneath a curtain of thick black eyelashes. His ear-length red hair was glowing like copper wire in the sunlight, and his skin was the color of fresh cream. He was dressed in all black, but his outfit was anything but bland. An unbuttoned vest hung from his shoulders, his tank top was ripped to reveal sections of flawless abdomen, his tight pants glinted with chains and zippers, and his wrists were coated in jelly bracelets.

"I don't think I've ever seen you this nervous, babe," the gorgeous redhead drawled to his equally beautiful companion. The other man was shorter, but his multi-colored spiky hair nearly compensated for their difference in height. He was dressed in red metallic pants and what would have been a nice white dress shirt had it not been artfully splattered with black paint. A black tie patterned with red skulls hung loosely from his neck, completing his formalwear-turned-punk ensemble.

"I didn't want to go to this stupid thing in the first place," the other man growled, running his hands through his wild hair for the tenth time, "and I certainly don't want Kaiba to buy a whole new suit for me just for one fucking party. Plus, this is the first time I'm going to see my old friends in…" He trailed off, and his face scrunched up into a look of worried concentration. He racked his brain but came up with nothing but blurry nights and an obliterated concept of time. He honestly couldn't remember.

The redhead pushed off from the wall and sauntered over to his friend. It was only a few steps, but he somehow managed to put a sexy sway in his hips. He wrapped his ivory arms around the other man's waist, forcing him to stop pacing. A few people stopped to stare at the blatant show of affection, and a mother even covered her child's eyes.

"It's going to be fine, Yami," he purred. "Even if it sucks, we can haul ass to the nearest bar the second things turn sour."

Yami gave his friend a small smile. "Alcohol is your answer to everything, Gabe. I get the feeling it's all part of some elaborate ploy to get me wasted and then take advantage of me."

"Be realistic, babe." Gabe smiled, showing off his dimples. "You can't rape the willing."

The Egyptian laughed. "You raise an excellent point. I think Kaiba would have you killed, though, and you're far too beautiful to die."

"Ain't that the truth. Your boyfriend seems like the Fatal Attraction sort, in a sexy, brooding way."

"He's not my-"

"Yami!" A familiar voice miraculously managed to carry over the buzzing crowd. Yami immediately stepped out of Gabe's embrace and searched around him until he located its source. He spotted a familiar head of outrageous blond hair sticking out of the crowd about a block down. Joey and Tristan were waving frantically at him, and around them were the tops of two shorter heads that he recognized: Tea and Yugi.

Yami waved back and beckoned the group over, then he turned to Gabe. "Remember to play nice, sweetheart. Don't scare them, and try not to mention anything involving booze or sex."

"Well, there goes half of my vocabulary."

Yami looked back just in time to see Joey shamelessly elbowing his way through the throngs of people with the others trailing behind him. His heart fluttered nervously, but he could see that they were all smiling. In truth, the sight of them alone filled him with relief. After spending so many hours in the company of sin itself, it was refreshing to think back to simpler times and the people that had always been there to help him.

"Lookin' sharp, Yami!" Joey called as he reached the front of the boutique. He grinned his usual goofy grin and then glanced over at Gabe. His brown eyes sparkled with a mixture of surprise and naïve astonishment as he took in the redhead's provocative appearance. "Who's your friend?"

Yami started to answer but was interrupted by something small and hard slamming into his midsection. He stumbled back but managed to catch himself just before he and the other object tumbled into the streets. He looked down and saw Yugi wrapped around him like a belt, his young face split into a million-watt smile.

The Egyptian smiled back and enthusiastically returned the hug. "I've missed you too, little one."

"Hey, don't hog all the hugs for yourself, Yugi," Tea said with a laugh as she threw her arms around him as well. "Long time no see, stranger! Glad you're still in one piece" She stepped back and looked him up and down. "You look really good. How have you been?"

"More importantly," Tristan chimed in, "_where_ have you been? It feels like it's been ages since we saw you last!"

"I'm truly sorry for my absence, my friends," Yami replied, looking chagrined. "I've been working with Kaiba on obtaining my own identity, and I'm afraid the process is more complicated than we originally assumed."

It wasn't a complete lie… just mostly.

"Oh yeah, Yugi told us about that," Tea said with a smile. "I'm amazed you even got him to agree to help. Did you have to sell your soul to Kaiba Corp first?"

Yami smiled mysteriously. "Something like that." He looked down at Yugi, noting that the other boy still hadn't said anything. Yugi had an amused twinkle in his eyes, though the pharaoh couldn't begin to guess why.

Yugi finally released his vice-like grip and stepped back to join the ranks of his friends. He was smiling so brightly, it was impossible not to smile back. "It's great to see you, Yami. My room feels empty without you. How's that friend you said you've been staying with?"

"That would be me," Gabe cut in smoothly. Four pairs of eyes widened as the older man confronted them with his trademark impish grin. "I'm Gabriel. Feel free to call me Gabe, or babe, or baby, or really anything you please. I've been looking forward to meeting you guys, especially you, Yugi." Yami had to keep himself from rolling his eyes as Gabe winked at Yugi, making the smaller teen break out into a furious blush. "I can see where Yami gets his good looks from. Are you sure you aren't his sexy younger brother or something?"

Yugi sputtered a string of unintelligible sounds that might have been words had he been able to get beyond the first syllables. The four teens looked uncertainly at Yami, and he forced a smile to his face. "Gabe has been kind enough to let me stay with him while I get my life together. Between the financial burden of having another mouth to feed and the late nights all this work has made me keep, I figured it was a reasonable temporary solution. I didn't want to cause the Mutou family unnecessary trouble."

"You certainly have been working _hard_ lately, sweetheart," Gabe teased, grinning wickedly. "Not that I'd know, considering how little I see of you these days. I almost feel neglected."

Yami elbowed the redhead and gave him a venomous glare. Before he was forced to explain, Yugi seemingly recovered from his shock and piped up, "You know you're always welcome in my home, but it's great that you're making new friends."

"Yeah," Joey chuckled, "it probably keeps you sane after spending half the day with Kaiba. I want to punch something anytime I spend more than ten minutes with that frigid robot."

"He's not that bad," Yami said with a shrug, noticing that Gabe and Yugi were both watching him closely. Surprisingly, they were each wearing almost identical sly smiles. The Egyptian didn't particularly care for the juxtaposition between his salacious bar mate and his innocent young friend.

Tristan clapped Yami affectionately on the back. "You're just saying that because you owe him for doing you this favor. Honestly, you must be the most patient person in the world to put up with him every day, even if you do need him."

"We owe him now, too," Yugi chirped. "He's the one who invited us to this fancy party after all, and he even offered to pay for our suits."

"Probably because he doesn't want us to show up in street clothes and embarrass him," Tea giggled. "I'm tempted to do it just to see the look on his face."

Yami laughed. "Please don't antagonize Kaiba until I'm finished with him. After I have my own identity, you can dance naked in his front yard for all I care."

"Speakin' of which," Joey said, glancing towards the boutique behind them, "is this where we're supposed to get our suits and Tea's dress and all? It looks a little plain for somewhere Kaiba shops."

Yami shrugged. "Apparently they make beautiful custom pieces here. Kaiba told me all we have to do is mention that he sent us, and we'll be treated like royalty."

"I'm up for some royal treatment!" Tristan struck an excited pose. "Let's do this thing!"

Joey, Tristan, Gabe and Tea all headed into the shop, but before Yami could follow, he felt a tug on his shirt. He looked down and saw that Yugi hadn't moved.

"What is it, little one?"

Yugi waited until the others had all entered the boutique before he answered. "I've really missed you, Yami. I hope you've been alright."

The Egyptian smiled. "Your concern touches me. I'm so sorry I haven't been in contact. Life is just…" he searched for the proper words, "…much more hectic than I expected."

Yugi smiled. "I understand. You've had five thousand years to forget what it's like to be human. It's natural that you'd need some time to adjust, and I applaud you for wanting to find your way on your own instead of relying on us."

Yami reached out and pulled his little friend into a hug, too touched for words. Leave it to Yugi to understand him completely without him even needing to explain.

When he finally released him, the smaller teen was grinning in a way that reminded him of Gabe. It made Yami instantly wary.

"Yami, can I ask you something personal?"

The Egyptian blinked. "Of course."

"Well, I was just thinking… um… while you've been busy making a new life for yourself…"

Yami's eyebrows knit neatly together. "Yugi… what are you getting at?"

The smaller teen glanced around as if he were checking for eavesdroppers, then he leaned in and whispered, "Are you and Kaiba… _dating_?"

Yami's mouth dropped open. "Durrrrrrr…?" He struggled for words only to discover he had literally none.

Yugi blushed and began to stammer, "Well, I just figured that since you've been spending so much time with him, and you've been dressing differently, and I haven't see you in so long, and I remembered what you said about him kissing you during Battle City…" He rubbed the back of his head, still blushing furiously. "I mean, now that you have your own body… you guys could… you know… be together. I'm sure it would do Kaiba some good to be around real people instead of machines."

Yami had to smile. "I should have known you'd put two and two together eventually." He felt his own cheeks color slightly as he tried to think of a way to explain himself. "We're not _dating,_ per se. I mean, we certainly have been seeing a lot of each other, and I suppose we have some kind of relationship… I just wouldn't call it something as formal as dating."

Yugi's eyes widened innocently. "Then what would you call it? Do you do things together? Talk? Has he kissed you again?"

Yami had to take a deep breath to keep from laughing outright. This was possibly the most awkward conversation he'd ever attempted to have. How could he possibly explain this to the chaste teen? "We've kissed again, yes. Uhh, beyond that, I'd really rather not have to talk about it."

Yugi nodded solemnly. "I understand. It's really none of my business anyways. I was just curious. I wouldn't have asked at all, but I never really took you for the modest type. I'm sorry I intruded."

Yami had never before been so grateful that Gabe was not around. The redhead would have simply _died_ at the mention of the Egyptian and modesty in the same sentence.

Yami clapped his hands nervously together. "We should get inside before all the good clothes are gone!"

The two boys entered the boutique only to discover that the others were still in the expensively-decorated lobby. It looked like the inside of a small museum: cold, clean, and sterile. A tight-lipped woman in a black suit was standing with her arms folded in front of the mahogany check-out counter. Her dark hair was pulled back into a tight bun, and the eyes behind her rectangular glasses were shrewd.

"I'm sorry, _sir_," she said to Joey, "but we serve only the finest clientele in Domino City. You cannot simply waltz in here off the street, especially dressed like _that._"

"Listen here, lady," Joey growled, his fists clenched at his side, "just because we're young doesn't mean you can treat us like a bunch of hooligans. You're lucky we're even still willing to give you our business after this!"

"What's the problem here?" Yami asked, striding forward. He slipped in front of Joey and put a hand on his chest to keep him from doing anything rash.

He saw the saleswoman look him up and down and frown. "I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you all to leave. We serve by appointment only, and I highly doubt any of you _children_ are here to seriously shop."

Yami's lips twitched up into a faint smile, and his eyes took on the legendary regal gleam that usually meant he had his opponent cornered. He raised his chin and straightened to his full elegant height. "Your one appointment today was made by Seto Kaiba himself for a man named Yami and his five guests."

The woman's mouth dropped open. She didn't have to glance at the clipboard in her hand to verify his information. Yami didn't doubt for a second that Kaiba had insisted that the boutique clear all of its other appointments that day in order to ensure he got their full service. The woman had probably spent her entire morning waiting for their arrival.

Yami folded his arms smugly over his chest. "By now I presume you have figured out that there's no way I could have known that unless the appointment was mine. I'm Yami, these are my five guests, and I suggest you begin compensating for your rudeness before I have to inform Kaiba of the terrible service I received here. I'm sure it would cost you dearly to lose his business."

The woman, to her credit, recovered instantly from her shock. Her face transformed into a look of warm invitation that Yami might have believed was genuine were he not an expert on calling bluffs.

"Welcome to Bella Rosa Boutique, sir." She was nothing but solicitude and syrupy politeness now that her job was riding on her performance. "My name is Camille, and it is my pleasure to serve you today."

"I'm certain it is." Yami gestured languidly towards Tea. "If you'd be so kind as to serve the lady first, the rest of us are going to browse through your selection on our own. We'll come find you if we need anything."

The woman looked loathe to let them anywhere near her wares without supervision, but at this point she was far from arguing. She directed Tea towards a selection of elegant evening gowns in a room to the right while the men ventured off to the left to look through rows and rows of suits in every color and style imaginable.

"Nice going there, Yami," Joey called from a rack of silk ties that reached from the floor to the ceiling. "It's good to know some things never change. I thought she was going to have a conniption."

"Do you even know what 'conniption' means?" Tristan asked as he held an atrocious powder blue suit up to his body. Yami ignored them all and walked directly to a series of charcoal black suits with red silk lining. He selected one with a subtle pattern of red pinstripes and high, Italian-style lapels. It was stunning to say the least: aristocratic yet edgy. The cut left room for broad shoulders that tapered to a narrow waist and would flatter virtually any body type. Yami already knew this was going to be his suit.

He glanced around and saw that his friends had all made selections as well: Joey picked a characteristically flashy white suit, Yugi went with a traditional black tuxedo, and Tristan thankfully ditched the powder-blue monstrosity in favor of a simple gray three-piece. Gabe, as if determined to thumb his nose at the very idea of finery, picked an extravagant royal purple suit made entirely out of velvet. The color would contrast stunningly with his hair and eyes, but that wouldn't keep him from looking like he belonged in a cartoon.

As if on cue, Camille reappeared in the room and said, "Gentlemen, if you have all made your selections, please allow me to show you to your fitting rooms. The lady has already chosen her gown and is waiting for you in the lobby."

The five men all filed out of the room only to find Tea grinning smugly near the entrance with a plastic garment bag slung over her arm.

"Did ya find somethin' good?" Joey joked.

The dancer nodded but refused to show them her dress. She insisted that it would have to be a surprise on the actual night, and no amount of cajoling from the boys would sway her. Before they could pester her further, Camille ushered them all towards four curtained chambers in a back room behind the check out counter. Yami sat outside on a cushioned French armchair while the others struggled into their finery, some more noticeably than others. Camille actually had to walk in on a half-naked Joey to keep him from ripping his pants apart in an effort to get them onto his legs.

Gabe emerged first, suggesting that despite his street-walker reputation, he was more accustomed to formalwear than any of the others. Yami had to admit, as unorthodox as his suit was, the color was divine. In candlelight it would look like the richest black known to man, but under the boutique's delicate light fixtures, it was the color of deep twilight. Gabe's skin glowed, his hair flamed, and his eyes positively shimmered.

"Try not to drool all over your suit, babe," Gabe teased as he favored the Egyptian with a twirl that showed off how well the suit fit his lithe body.

"I'm the one who should be drooled over," Tristan boasted as he pulled his curtain back. His suit lacked the finesse of Gabe's but it certainly was more socially acceptable. It made him look a few years older and much more sophisticated than the teenaged hoodlum he was at heart. Yami nodded approvingly.

Yugi came next, a fierce blush painting his cheeks an outrageous shade of bright pink. The sleeves of his tuxedo jacket were too long for him, but Camille assured him from inside Joey's booth that they could be tailored in time for the event. He looked like a child trying on his father's suit, but it was much more endearing than ridiculous.

In the next moment, the curtain to Joey's room burst back, and a flustered-looking Camille practically shoved Joey out. The blond was grinning sheepishly and rubbing the back of his head. The suit was on, buttoned, and not damaged in any way, which was truly a testament to the saleswoman's skill. The white paired surprisingly well with Joey's light hair and tan skin and managed to make even him look like a respectable young man. All in all, the process was a complete success.

"You all look wonderful," the pharaoh remarked, "especially you, Joey. I didn't know you had it in you."

"I'm quite surprised myself," Gabe cooed, looking Joey over from head to toe with obvious interest. "I must say, I've never been one for blonds, but you clean up nicely."

Joey's blush deepened to a shade that couldn't have been healthy. Yami started to interject before the redhead could really dig his claws in, but luckily someone beat him to the punch.

"It's your turn, Yami," Yugi said with a smile as he struggled to roll his long sleeves up.

"Oh, right." He glanced at the beautiful suit spread over his lap. He'd almost forgotten after watching all of his friends. "You guys go ahead and start checking out. Camille, you can help Yugi get his measurements and pick out matching ties for everyone. I know how to put on a suit by myself."

The saleswoman seemed more than willing to do whatever he said if it meant getting them out of her store as quickly as possible. The sound of her heels clicking as she swept towards the front of the store punctuated the obvious relief on her face. The four boys entered their dressing rooms again and reemerged a few minutes later in their street clothes.

Yami slipped into the now-vacant dressing room on the far right and began pulling off his clothes. The suit came with a matching silk dress shirt in a beautiful shade of burgundy. It felt like water sliding over his skin when he pulled it on. The jacket and pants were even better: smooth and supple in a way that only came from the exquisitely expensive. The suit fit him as if it were made for him. He wouldn't need to have the slightest alteration. The mirror hanging on the wall told him what he already knew: he looked like a smoking hot mixture of a gangster and a vampire. The red accented his coloring in just the right way, and the fabric clung to him while still leaving a tantalizing amount to the imagination.

He heard his friends chattering in the lobby but paused for a few minutes to admire himself rather than show them right away. He slipped his skull tie back on to complete the look. He ran his fingers through his hair a few times to smooth it out and unbuttoned the top button on his shirt to reveal more of his creamy chest. He looked… delicious. Sexy, dark, mysterious: he could think of endless adjectives.

Suddenly, a bell chimed, and the chattering stopped completely. Yami heard the sound of the front door slamming shut, and Camille's professional voice greeted someone. A man's voice answered, but it was too muffled for Yami to understand. That was strange. They were supposed to be the only appointment that day. He cocked his head to the side and listened hard. No one said a word, and if he didn't know any better, he'd say the silence was filled with tension.

The Egyptian finally couldn't stand the suspense any longer. He pulled his curtain back and stepped towards the doorway that led to the main lobby, pausing just within it. His friends were all standing around in a tense circle, garment bags thrown over their arms. Yugi had stopped halfway through filling out some kind of form, obviously a work order for his alterations. They were all staring forward with unsettled looks on their faces, and it took Yami a moment to realize they were all looking at the same thing. Rather, the same person.

Seto Kaiba.

The smolderingly hot brunette stood just inside the entrance with his arms crossed over his broad chest. His normally-perfect hair had been ruffled by the breeze outside, and he obviously hadn't bothered to fix it yet. His piercing eyes were glittering with malcontent that managed to look purely sexual. His clothing was slightly more casual than usual but still impeccable: dark-wash jeans, a thin white belt, and a form-fitting black Diesel T-shirt that showed off gorgeous biceps and hugged his slender waist.

_Even his everyday clothes are designer, _Yami thought with a mental snort. _I have to admit I've never seen someone make a T-shirt and jeans look quite so good._

Camille appeared in the room with several colorful ties in her hands. "Here you are, sir. These will pair beautifully with the selections your friends made. I do hope everything is to your satisfaction."

"They're not my friends," Kaiba replied cooly, "and considering I had to take time out of my day to supervise this freak show, it had better be. I can only hope you've done your job and helped them select something at least moderately refined."

"You should give us a little more credit, babe," Gabe drawled, his feline face showing only the slightest trace of irritation. "We don't need you to wipe our noses for us."

"If I'm going to suffer your company for an entire night, I refuse to let you look like street trash in the process." Kaiba smirked. "Not that I think putting you in a nice suit will really fool anyone."

Joey growled and started to protest, but Tristan put a hand on his arm and shook his head.

Yami sighed and lounged against the doorway to the fitting rooms. "Kaiba, must you aggravate my friends at every given opportunity?"

Seven sets of eyes snapped over to him, and six of them widened slightly.

"Wow, Yami," Tea breathed, "you look… _amazing._"

"Seriously, babe," Gabe chimed in, looking delighted. "That suit was designed with you in mind."

"It's terrible," Kaiba snapped. Everyone but Yami turned to him with identical aghast expressions.

"You can't be serious," Joey protested. "Yami looks great!"

"I don't know why you think I'll take your word when it comes to fashion, mutt, but think again." Kaiba's face was dark, and his eyes narrowed menacingly as they sized Yami up from head to toe. "It looks like cheap Euro-trash, and I won't have it."

The others started to argue with him, but Yami held up a hand. A small smile graced his lips, and his amethyst eyes were dazzling in their tightly-controlled rage. "If you say so, Kaiba. It's your money, so I'm certainly not going to argue with you. Perhaps you'd like to pick out something more to your taste?"

"Yami," Yugi said with a frown, "you really shouldn't…."

"It's fine." The Egyptian flashed him a cheeky smile. "It's been great seeing you guys again, but I don't want to hold you up any longer. Go enjoy the rest of your day, and I'll be in touch."

The gang exchanged uncertain looks but ultimately couldn't resist the pharaoh's authoritative tone. They exited one by one with their garment bags, ties, and Yugi with a copy of his half-finished alteration form. Gabe grabbed Joey's arm and shot Yami a mischievous wink on his way out. The pharaoh would have bet all the money in the world that the redhead was going to drag his blond friend off to a dark bar somewhere. He wished Joey the best of luck in trying to fend him off, or in surviving the night if he succumbed to his advances.

"Camille." Kaiba turned towards the woman, and she smiled warmly, as if she were delighting in the thought of obeying whatever order he was about to issue. "I would like to browse your selection undisturbed. Please don't get underfoot while I correct this terrible wardrobe choice. I trust you won't protest, considering it's your fault such an egregious error was almost made."

Camille, to her credit, only let her face fall for half a second before her winning smile became fixed in place again. "Of course, sir. I'll be in the back office if you need anything." The sound of clicking heels once again filled the room as the woman made her hasty exit.

The second she was gone, the CEO turned back to Yami and again studied him from head to toe, his sapphire eyes burning with an unreadable emotion.

The Egyptian raised his chin defiantly. "So sorry to disappoint you with my poor fashion sense, sweetheart."

The CEO stalked slowly forward, looking so thoroughly primal that it took everything Yami had not to shrink back. As the distance between them dwindled, the Egyptian raced to interpret the expression on Kaiba's face. It was black like rage but controlled like his usual cold calculations. It made no sense for him to be so worked up over a suit he didn't like, but if Yami didn't know better, something very serious was about to go down.

The brunette stopped when he was just inches from his rival, forcing the other man to crane his head up in order to meet his eyes. Kaiba was simply staring, and Yami thought he saw a faint tremor course through his body. He tensed up and waited for something to happen. Was Kaiba going to punch him or something? It didn't make any sense, but tension was thick in the air.

Yami got his answer in the next split second.

Something collided with his body, and he stumbled precariously back. He was too stunned to process information properly for the next three seconds, but in that time, something warm pressed to his front, something cold slammed into his back, and a curtain flickered in the corner of his vision. As soon as he stopped moving he sucked in a breath and struggled to comprehend. He was inside one of the fitting rooms now, his back pressed to a hanging mirror, and he was not alone.

Kaiba was on top of him, his eyes smoldering and his long, lean body pinning Yami effectively in place. The Egyptian reacted instantly to the passion he saw there and to the submissive position he was in. It was like a spark in darkness, instantaneous and ferocious. Heat flooded into his body, and it was all he could do to resist the urge to press himself against the predator that had him cornered. He wanted to bare his throat and let himself be ravaged by this beautiful blue-eyed beast.

"You," Kaiba whispered, leaning forward to let his breath tickle Yami's ear, "look _stunning._"

"I thought you said you hated this suit," Yami murmured back as a warm shiver melted down his spine.

"I lied." The brunet was already undoing the suit's buttons. His hands ran roughly down Yami's chest, and the smaller man sucked in a breath. The feel of Kaiba's warm hands through his liquidy dress shirt was overwhelming, especially when coupled with the other man's obvious raw need.

"Why?" Yami breathed. He finally gave in to the temptation and pressed his hips demandingly forward. Kaiba didn't even hesitate; he started grinding hard against him, moving in perversely slow circles that made Yami shudder. Even through their clothes they could already feel how badly they wanted each other. The Egyptian slipped his hands under the other man's thin T-shirt and nearly gasped at how hot his skin was. Even hotter was the sight of Kaiba biting his lip to hold back a moan. Even the simplest touch felt like electricity under their skin right now.

"I wanted your little friends to get the fuck out _now_," Kaiba murmured against Yami's ear, making the smaller man shiver. His tongue darted out to lick his earlobe, and a second later his teeth joined it, nipping teasingly at the sensitive flesh. The Egyptian sucked in a breath as Kaiba's tongue and teeth moved to his neck, licking here, sucking there, and biting down when he least expected it. He pulled away long enough to whisper softly, "The second I saw you I knew I wouldn't be able to control myself. I had to get everyone out, or I might have fucked you on the floor in front of them."

Yami's laugh turned into a husky moan and Kaiba's tongue dipped into his collarbone. "Had I known this was the way to drive you wild, I might have bought a suit sooner." He slid his hands up and down the brunet's sides before slipping them around to his back and raking his nails down. The hiss of pained pleasure that he received in response made his head spin. All the while those hips never stopped their slow, tortuous gyration, the motion driving him closer and closer to wild need with every passing second.

Kaiba glanced up at him, and he thought for a moment that he was going to drown in a sea of the purest cerulean. "It's not the suit that makes me wild. It's the man beneath it."

Yami felt something tug at his waist and looked down to find Kaiba's hands nearly ripping his pants open. He had enough time to suck in one ragged breath before the fabric was pooling around his ankles, exposing his enflamed skin. His boxers came next, leaving him completely naked from the waist down but still dressed otherwise. Kaiba pressed his body so hard to Yami's the touch was almost suffocating; the smaller teen felt like he was being smothered under the combined weight of his lover's desire and his own. Kaiba slid his own jeans down next and pulled his shirt over his head with one smooth tug. Their mutual erections rubbed continuously together in the most beautiful, tremulous friction.

The intensity of it made both men pant and cling to each other, touching every inch of flesh they could reach. Yami started to rake his fingers through Kaiba's hair, but the brunette grabbed his wrists and slammed them back into the mirror behind him. A shuddering sigh escaped from his lips as he lost himself in the sensation of completely surrendering control.

"Fuck, you look good in this position," Kaiba murmured, leaning down to lave his lips with his tongue.

Yami looked up at him with half-lidded eyes, and the brunette swore in that moment he had never felt so thoroughly seduced.

"I'm sure I do," Yami breathed, "but we both know what you really want."

Both men felt their mouths go dry as something bestial sparked between them. There was only one answer to the unspoken question, and they both felt it coursing in their veins.

"Turn around," Kaiba ordered huskily. Those blue eyes were piercing through him again, licking at his soul. His lips twitched up into a smug smirk that reminded Yami of a time that had surely been eons ago. "Put your hands on the mirror."

"You and your mirrors," Yami purred in response, but he complied eagerly. His amethyst eyes went straight to Kaiba's reflection once he'd turned around, and there was something sinful about the sight of that man poised at his back. The CEO wrapped his arms around his waist and then slipped his hands up one tortuous inch at a time. Yami shivered violently as the touch left trails of fire on his skin. If this kept up, he was going to faint for certain.

One of the taller man's hands rose to his face, and two fingers lightly brushed his lips. Without a second thought, the pharaoh opened his mouth and suckled on those fingers. He felt Kaiba shiver behind him and swirled his tongue languidly over the flesh, imagining that he was doing this to a very different part of the brunet's anatomy. After a moment, Kaiba reluctantly withdrew his fingers and slipped them down between Yami's spread legs. They tickled his puckered entrance before sliding roughly in. The Egyptian bit back a pained sound. Saliva wasn't anywhere near as good as lube, but it would have to do. In time, precum and sweat would ease the way.

It suddenly dawned on the pharaoh what they were about to do. Here he was shaking with need in a fitting room of a French boutique with a gorgeous brunet ready to fuck him against the wall. This was… insane. Unbelievably sexy and hot as Hell itself, but insane.

"Kaiba," he breathed, struggling to regain his senses, "we can't. Camille will hear."

"So what if she does?" The brunet was already sliding his rock-hard length between Yami's thighs in time with his fingers, and the motion was pure erotica.

Yami struggled to find words. His brain was shrouded in lust-induced haze, and he was quivering so badly he couldn't get his jaw to move. Kaiba slid his free hand down his belly and ghosted it over his throbbing erection, making his breath hitch in his throat. Just before his knees threatened to buckle from the sensation overload, he managed to squeak out two final words, "We… can't…"

Kaiba leaned forward until their faces were side by side, their jewel tone eyes staring at each other in the mirror and the mutual ragged breaths leaving a light fog on its surface. "I'm going to take you, Yami. I'm going to fuck you right here and right now, and there's nothing you can do to stop me." With that, he slipped the Egyptian's tie from around his neck and shoved it into his mouth, effectively gagging him. "Now you can be as loud as you want."

Yami managed to get the smallest cry of protest out before his body exploded with raw pleasure. Kaiba forced his entire length into him in one powerful thrust, and had the Egyptian not been gagged, the entire block would have heard him moan. The brunet clapped a hand over his tie-filled mouth to help stifle the noise while his other held his hip firmly in place. The rhythm was brutal, starting out furious instead of gradually building. It was the hardest fucking Yami had received to date, and he had never felt so good.

Every well-timed thrust struck a chord deep within him: that delicious, all-encompassing sweet spot that made his veins pump liquid ecstasy. His eyes fluttered open, and the sight of Kaiba's beautiful face looming over his shoulder, contorted into a look of deep pleasure, made the inferno pooling in his stomach jump up even higher. The brunet was biting his lip, desperately trying to keep himself from groaning like a animal as he buried himself again and again in the other man's tight body. He couldn't get deep enough to satisfy the hunger inside him, couldn't move fast enough to quiet the beast that raged inside his body. It was screaming for more, clawing at his innards, and it took everything he had not to lose himself in the tantalizing sound of hard flesh smacking against hard flesh.

Both men were spurred on by the knowledge that they could be interrupted at any second. They were making an effort to be quiet, but no one could have such violent sex silently. Yami was pressed against the hanging mirror, and every thrust made a tell-tale thumping noise. If Camille returned from the back room, she would undoubtedly hear it and come to check on them. They could be caught at any moment, and the knowledge thrilled them beyond comprehension.

Kaiba swore he had never taken so long to come before. Every second seemed like an eternity as he plunged into his lover's body with ever-increasing force. Any second now he expected to hear the click of high heels, to see the curtain to the dressing room slide back, to see the shocked face of the saleswoman as she took in the mesmerizing sight of the beautiful brunet bent over the equally-gorgeous Egyptian, pounding away like two beasts rutting in the wild. His whole body thrummed with a beat akin to tribal drums; there was something savage inside him, and a little more of it escaped every time he enveloped himself in that tight heat.

Yami's muffled moaning increased in pitch and frequency, and the brunet knew his lover was close. He moved the hand on his hip and began to pump the other man's dripping erection in time with his thrusts, which only made the muffled moaning even louder. Yami threw his head back until it was resting on Kaiba's shoulder, and he appeared to be close to fainting. His eyes were clenched shut, his brow was covered in sweat, and even the tie still stuffed in his mouth couldn't quiet his cries. They were so close, _so close_, and if they were caught now they wouldn't even be able to stop themselves. The pleasure was too scorching hot, too demanding, too frenetic to go unsatisfied. Nothing else mattered in the wake of their need, and this knowledge spurred them into an impossible body-high that could only come from mind-blowing sex.

The thumping of mirror-against-wall was louder, faster, more furious to match the paces of the two bodies moving in unison. Kaiba was panting furiously but managed to restrain his moans. Tension was building low in his belly, the coiling sensation he'd been waiting for. He slammed himself into his warm sheath only to pull back as far as he could and slam himself in again. The friction was beginning to drive him mad, but all he wanted was more. He was relentless in his drive to take it, to make every inch of his flesh come alive. It was coiling tighter and tighter, and he lost all sense of how hard or fast he was moving. Tighter, tighter, hotter, mounting up and up until he could hardly remember what the ground looked like, he was so high. Just a little more… god, just a little more… if he could… just…

Something snapped inside of him. His whole body went rigid as shockwaves flooded into every sinew, every fiber, every atom of his being. His muscles locked up as it seized through him, leaving only throbbing chaos in its wake. It massacred his mind and left his body trembling through the most furious pleasure he had ever known. He felt something warm spurt onto his hand and knew that he was not alone in his exaltation. He could hear the faintest cry, and somewhere in the back of his hazy mind he was grateful the gag hadn't slipped. He had a feeling even his dead ancestors would have heard them.

When the waves of fire finally receded, two shaking, sweating, panting men were left frozen in its wake. Their muscles held them up only because they were so incapable of movement, they couldn't even buckle. Breathing was a task that had never before been so difficult. The minutes ticked on, and neither of them seemed to be able to come down from the drug-like high that clouded their minds.

Finally, Kaiba had the decency to slide out of Yami's body. The Egyptian's hands were still pressed to the mirror, and he almost felt as if he had become attached to it. Sapphire eyes met amethyst in the reflection, and the lovers regarded each other with silent understanding. They had just experienced true need. They'd thought they'd desired each other before, but now they had a craving. It disturbed them both sometimes to know that it was never enough. They never stopped wanting each other, and even when they were together, they wanted more. It was an addiction unlike any other: a drug that got them so high it sometimes took days before they came down again. They had a hunger that demanded to be fed, and denying it would lead to more desperate encounters than the one they had just experienced. At the moment, they were too aglow with post-orgasm delight to care, but in the back of both of their brilliant minds, they understood the dangerous implications of this knowledge.

They spent another few minutes recovering, then they set about making themselves presentable with mechanical movements. Yami removed the top half of suit and changed back into his street clothes. Kaiba wiped sweat from his brow and smoothed his hair. Both men waited until their cheeks lost their flush and their breathing had steadied before finally venturing out of the room. To their relief, Camille was nowhere within hearing range.

As if on cue, however, she appeared from a small doorway behind the check out counter, her solicitous smile already fixed in place. "Did you find a suit more to your taste, Mr. Kaiba?"

The CEO smirked. "Actually, upon closer inspection, I've deemed the suit acceptable after all."

If Camille was surprised by his change of heart, she didn't let it show. "Excellent choice, sir." She turned to Yami. "I hope you had a pleasant experience here. I apologize for the misunderstanding earlier."

The Egyptian gave her a bleary look. His brain was still not fully functioning properly. He ran a hand through his hair and attempted to process her words but failed miserably. Kaiba chuckled smugly in response to his obvious loss of cognition, obviously immensely pleased with himself.

Camille looked back and forth between the two men. Her eyes flitted to Yami's wild hair - made even wilder now - then to the top of Kaiba's jeans, which he had forgotten to button, and then finally to the haughty look on the brunet's face. Groggy as the two men were, they could easily see the gears clicking away in her head, piecing the information together. They knew she'd figured it out when a dark blush flooded into her cheeks and she pressed her lips tightly together.

Kaiba brushed imaginary lint from his shoulder. "Thank you for your services today, Camille. It's been a pleasure once again, and you will certainly continue to receive faithful business from me. Naturally, I trust that an establishment of this caliber and reputation can be counted upon for… discretion."

The saleswoman blinked as she caught his not-so-subtle drift and nodded a moment later.

"Excellent." Kaiba reached over and grabbed Yami's hand, using it to haul the smaller man out of the store and into the bustling streets of Domino City. The air outside had cooled now that the sun was close to setting, and the fresh air helped to clear Yami's head. He managed to regain just enough awareness to keep him from smacking into people as Kaiba tugged him through the crowds.

"Where are we going?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at the brunet's back.

"My place. I left work early for this, so we might as well make use of the time." There was an underlying suggestive tone in his voice.

Sated as he currently felt, Yami couldn't help but shiver a little. "You, darling, are simply insatiable."

Kaiba stopped and turned around so quickly, the Egyptian almost smacked into him. Amethyst eyes locked onto sapphire, and the two rivals stood there in the middle of the sidewalk, oblivious to the masses of people swirling around them.

"That may be, _snookums,_" Kaiba retorted, his voice low and rough, "but I wasn't this way before I met you. That means it's your fault and therefore your responsibility."

"Your logic is inherently flawed," the pharaoh grinned and stepped closer, "but I think I'm up to the task."

He felt something squeeze his hand and looked down. Kaiba's large, square hand was still folded around his own. For the first time, both men truly realized that they were... holding hands. They paused for a long moment, both unsure of what to do. As familiar as they had become with each other's bodies over the past few weeks, this felt strangely... intimate.

A tense moment passed as the teens went through startlingly similar inner debates. Finally, and with a note of obvious reluctance, they released each other simultaneously and stepped back. Two sets of jewel tone eyes regarded each other quietly, measuring each other's body language and facial expressions with expert ease. This was the game they were fated to play for all eternity: rivals turned lovers - competitive to a fault - especially when it came to pushing the other towards greatness. Who would be the first to reveal too much? Who would leave their throat exposed? In the end... how would a victor be decided?

Kaiba was the first to turn away. "My car is this way." In the light of the setting sun, his hair shone with an array of colors from chestnut to mahogany.

Yami shoved his hands into his pockets and strolled casually forward. "I'm kind of disappointed that you don't show up everywhere in a helicopter."

The CEO chuckled and strode by his side, his long legs easily allowing him to match Yami's pace. "I somehow doubt that, and if I did you wouldn't like it."

"Oh?"

Kaiba sent him a knowing smirk. "Helicopters don't have very roomy backseats."

...

**Rule Number Nine: **Take a shot whenever a really hot villain suddenly transforms/merges with a disgusting beast. AKA: the make-fangirls-cry rule.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note:** You guys crack me up so much XD. I mean that in the most endearing way imaginable. Your reviews are witty, insightful, inspiring, and sometimes downright provocative. I love reading each and everyone one of them, and I can say without a doubt that even though I have stories with hundreds of reviews, I've never gotten such good feedback before as I have for this fic. You guys quite literally rock my world. Not to say I wouldn't love to hear from more of you, but I want the ones I do hear from to know that I appreciate them. =D

But enough mindless praise, eh? I'm sure you're all dying to see how I'm going to top (sex joke) the dressing room sex in the last chapter.

This fic is dedicated to my wonderful friends: Teal, Gunslinger, Dyan, and Katie, and also to each and every one of you that sends me delicious reviews.

Also, there will be several **IMPORTANT NOTES **at the end of this chapter; please read it and tell me what you think.

…

…

Yami's long fingers drummed impatiently against the armrest of a leather chair. He tilted his head back until his neck hit something solid and sighed. Exactly how long was Kaiba going to keep him waiting? The gala was set to start in just an hour, and they hadn't even picked the others up yet. His wait was made all the more excruciating by the fact that he was actually perfectly comfortable. The chair he was sitting in molded to the arch of his back for maximum support, there was a warm fire crackling in the fireplace despite how late it was in the season, and the mixture of moonlight streaming through the curtains and strategically-placed candles made his eyes feel relaxed no matter where he looked. This drawing room was begging him to come back when it was rainy so he could curl up with a book and watch water streak down the windowpanes. It was impossible to be as restless as he wanted in such a cozy location, and that irritated him to no end.

Yami stood up before the dastardly armchair could lull him to sleep. He walked over to a wall-length shelf of books and began to scan titles. They were mostly foreign, and since ancient Egyptian didn't seem high on Kaiba's list of interests, he couldn't read the vast majority of them. He slipped his hands into the satin-lined pockets of his pants and grinned, resisting the urge to gratuitously rub the material. He would sleep in this suit if Kaiba would let him. It felt like being shrouded in a pricy, Italian cloud.

The Egyptian boy had been ready for quite some time now. Despite his usually complicated choice of dress, he was relatively low maintenance. His spiky hair barely even needed to be brushed - let alone styled - and he didn't wear makeup: his skin was naturally clear and his thick eyelashes made him look as if he were already wearing eyeliner. All he needed were brushed teeth, a spritz of the spicy cologne that Kaiba had forced on him, and the appropriate number of clothing articles. Yami had never taken his surly lover for the sort to waste unnecessary time on his appearance, but he'd been waiting for nearly half an hour already. At this rate, he almost expected him to appear in a suit of armor.

He had to wonder why Kaiba hadn't allowed him to change in his room. As soon as they'd eaten dinner, the brunette had retrieved Yami's suit from his closet and ushered the other man into a spare room to change. He'd then had a servant escort him to the drawing room to wait while Kaiba finished getting ready instead of allowing him back in. It was certainly puzzling behavior, considering the two had seen each other naked countless times. Neither of them had ever been particularly modest - and honestly, they were both in such prime condition, modesty would be an egregious waste - so why was Kaiba suddenly acting demure?

Yami mulled the question over as he continued to half-heartedly scan unreadable book titles. A few moments later, he heard light footsteps in the hallway outside, followed by the click of a doorknob and creak of an opening door. He eagerly turned around, anticipating another servant bearing news that Kaiba was finally ready. What he saw instead was a much more mouth-watering sight. He realized now why he hadn't been permitted to watch him change. The final reveal was all the more dazzling as a result.

The brunet was leaning against the doorway with his trademark smirk already plastered smugly on his face. He crossed his arms and ankles into a feigned casual pose, but his body language was singing of unwavering confidence from head to toe.

He was a _vision._

Kaiba was wearing a long jacket in the style of his usual garb, but this one had clearly been custom made for a grand event. It was the deepest, most luscious scarlet Yami had ever laid eyes on. The color was even more intoxicating because he was used to seeing his lover in blue or white. He realized now that while every color undoubtedly looked good on him, this one was simply otherworldly; it made his skin glow like starlight, and his eyes were accented into piercing blue diamonds. They caught the light and reflected it back in waves of dark seduction.

The jacket had a high, open collar and wide shoulders that emphasized his long, creamy neck and full chest to perfection. Black piping trimmed the sleeves and hems and curved down from his chest to his thighs to make his well-formed body even more noticeable. The fabric flowed smoothly into a tapered waist before flaring dramatically out again to drape elegantly around his miles of legs. The inside had been lined with some kind of lustrous material that was so dark red it looked black; it simply begged to be touched. Beneath the jacket, he wore a seemingly simple dress shirt and pants that could have been cut from the horizon at midnight. The fabric had a soft luster to it that made Yami yearn to rub his naked skin against it. He knew it would feel almost as delicious as the skin of the man who was wearing it.

"See something you like?" Kaiba asked casually. "You're practically drooling."

Yami couldn't even justify that with a response. He found himself moving closer almost unconsciously, reaching out to touch the beauty before him as if to ensure it was real. He touched the shirt first, realizing that its sheen came from a subtle embroidery made with thread as bright as moonlight. The stitches were so tiny they were nearly invisible, and they formed a pattern of dragon scales. Even more wonderful was the warmth radiating from the body beneath it, kissing each of Yami's curious fingers. Loath as he was to move his hands, he slid them over to the jacket next, running them down Kaiba's sides and almost shuddering at how soft it felt. It was like touching fresh rose petals: cool, crisp, and strong despite the appearance of fragility. He realized with a chuckle that the fabric lining the inside of the jacket was fur, a material he had never expected to see Kaiba wear even in such an innocuous fashion. He couldn't begin to think of what animal was that soft, but he hoped it wasn't endangered.

When he finally managed to tear his eyes away, he looked up into whirling blue and almost lost himself in the sudden emotion he felt. There was a pang deep in his chest that he normally would have interpreted as pain, but this was far more bittersweet. He'd always considered Kaiba a beautiful creature, but never before had he felt so much just by looking at him. It was unsettling and bewildering and intoxicating all at once.

_I feel like I can barely breathe…_ The pharaoh knew what was happening the moment he felt it. He wasn't going to feign ignorance or insult his own intelligence by pretending he couldn't put a name to the emotion. He might not have had a human body for very long, but he wasn't stupid. He knew that seeing his lover in his absolute prime was the source of the pang in his chest, and he understood the implications.

He was feeling awe.

It was really quite simple and understandable, but still it bemused him.

"I'll take that as a yes." Kaiba's voice was a sultry rumble. His face appeared as unaffected as usual, but his eyes told a different tale. Yami could see him reacting to something, and he was certain it was his own unexpected response. They were like a chemical chain, feeding off of each other as they had done countless times before for much higher stakes. Yami must have puzzled the other man as much as he was currently puzzling himself.

"You look… _beautiful_," Yami murmured, running his hands down Kaiba's chest. It wasn't the manliest of adjectives, but it was true. The brunet's subtle masculinity had been accented in a way that gave him timeless appeal without name or gender. He was simply striking.

"I think now you understand how I felt when I first saw you in that suit." Kaiba shamelessly let his eyes drift down the Egyptian's body. "How I still feel."

Yami shivered as that hungry gaze penetrated him in an entirely sexual manner. Abruptly, he leaned forward and pressed his lips gently to the other man's. He could feel Kaiba's surprise in the way he stiffened slightly. This was the closest thing to affection that they'd ever physically shown each other, and it startled them both. In another moment, however, Kaiba relaxed into the touch and began to return it, lifting one of his hands to stroke Yami's chin. The kiss deepened but remained languid and slow, drawing both men in until they forgot the world around them. The Egyptian felt hands sliding under his jacket and trembled minutely. He pulled back to look at Kaiba and once again found himself enthralled by those lust-darkened, gemstone eyes.

Yami couldn't stop himself from grinning. "So, I say fuck the gala. Let's stay here and have sex on that table."

Kaiba tried to hide his reaction, but Yami saw the corners of his lips twitch upwards. "Tempting, but considering we're the main event, I think someone will notice if we fail to appear. Plus your gang of miscreants is waiting for us."

"They can wait a little longer," Yami purred, leaning up to nibble on one of the brunet's earlobes. He heard the other man's breath hitch, and he flicked his tongue against the sensitive flesh. "If you hadn't spent so much time getting ready, we might have had a chance to break our new clothes in."

"Your suit has already had that privilege." Kaiba's sexy smirk suddenly turned into a frown as he processed the rest of what Yami had said. "I didn't take that long to get ready."

"Are you kidding me? You're almost as bad as a woman."

The CEO's growl was decidedly not sexual this time. "It's an involved outfit, you plebian. It takes time to straighten all of the collars and buttons so they line up."

"It's three pieces and one set of buttons. Unless you lined up everything with a ruler, I don't see how it took you nearly an hour."

Kaiba's expression was sour. "Clearly you have no sense of showmanship."

Yami burst into laughter. "If you really think that, you weren't paying attention during any of our duels." He trailed off into chuckles and ran his hands along the coat's fur lining. "Between all your leather furniture and this coat, PETA will be after you for certain."

"Please tell me you're not one of those tree-hugging, flower-toting hippies that I always want to run over with one of my gasoline-inefficient SUVs."

Yami's smile was positively angelic. "I am no more a hippie than you are a heartless, greedy corporate tycoon with no concern for the deteriorating state of the environment."

Kaiba rolled his eyes. "I think this is one of those moments where we should agree to disagree for the time being."

"I disagree."

"Smartass."

Yami stretched his arms languidly above his head and closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of his muscles and joints shifting. He didn't have to look to know Kaiba was undoubtedly admiring the display. Sure enough, he felt a hand sliding under his untucked shirt a moment later, but he moved away from it. If he couldn't convince his lover to skip the gala, he could at least make him regret it. Now seemed like a good time to remind his lover exactly who he was dealing with.

He opened his eyes to see Kaiba was frowning, obviously wondering why Yami had moved away from his touch. The CEO stepped closer and wrapped his arms around the smaller man's waist. Yami allowed it but didn't move closer or throw his arms around his neck as he normally would. The brunet leaned down and pressed their lips warmly together. Yami again allowed it but didn't reciprocate. He waited patiently for Kaiba to get bored of kissing his motionless lips and step back. When he did, he made certain to keep his face absolutely neutral.

Kaiba looked annoyed. "What's the problem?"

"Hmm?" Yami plastered a look of curious confusion on his face.

"Don't pull that bullshit with me. You're the most sexually voracious individual I know, so why are you ignoring a perfectly good opportunity to molest me?"

"We really ought to get going, sweetheart." Yami smiled charmingly. "You said yourself we can't miss the gala. Everyone is waiting for us. I just don't want us to get distracted and be late."

"Who the fuck are you, and what did you do with Yami?"

The Egyptian boy chuckled good naturedly, completely ignoring the fact that Kaiba's question was half-serious. "Come on; we don't have much time left, and we still need to pick up my friends." With that, he slipped out of his lover's arms and strolled towards the door, whistling innocently as he went.

If Kaiba hadn't learned over the years to internalize his reactions, his jaw would have dropped. Yami had never, ever, _ever_ missed an opportunity to fool around with him, regardless of what other engagements they had. He'd made Kaiba late to work on multiple occasions and thought the laws on public indecency were more like polite suggestions - not that Kaiba had any room to talk. Something was going on here, and he was determined to figure it out.

Yami made it to the doorway and glanced casually over his shoulder. "Are you coming or not?"

"I'm not. That's the problem."

Yami merely chuckled at the innuendo and continued walking. Kaiba scowled and followed reluctantly after him. The two lovers made their way to the grand entrance hall where a butler was waiting for them. He opened the large front door, revealing a sleek black limo waiting outside. This was the first time Yami had ever seen one of Kaiba's limos, and he had to admit it was impressive. He had no idea what make or model it was, but it looked like something out of an action movie, only sexier.

"No Italian sports car tonight?" Yami asked with a wry grin.

Kaiba rolled his eyes. "How would we fit your litter of moronic companions into one of my normal cars?"

"Touche. Also, you're starting to impress me with the array of euphemisms you use to refer to my friends."

"Just get in the goddamn car."

The chauffer got out of the driver's side and came around to open the back door for them. Yami slid in first, inhaling a lungful of new car smell and the scent of luxury. The interior was lit by panels on the ceiling that could be adjusted to different colors. A full set of crystal glasses and decanters lined a glass cooling unit across from the supple black leather seats. Soft music floated to them from speakers molded discreetly into the arm rests. Yami felt like he could easily curl up on one of the seats and go to sleep.

He settled himself near the middle and crossed his legs, uncertain of what else to do with them amidst so much empty space. Kaiba slid in after him, and as soon as the driver had made his way back around, they were off. Yami leaned his head back against his seat and watched the colors in the ceiling slowly shift through various shades of soft pastel. He felt Kaiba's eyes on him but for once he didn't react. He could sense the other man turning his actions into a game, and he knew already that before the end of the night, their competitive natures were going to get the best of them.

Kaiba was indeed studying Yami quite intently. He had expected his exuberant lover to put a hand on his knee at the very least. Under normal circumstances, the Egyptian would have plopped himself in Kaiba's lap already and would be hungrily attempting to entice him into having sex on the way there. The CEO wasn't certain if he was relieved or disappointed, but overall he was merely puzzled. He knew it wasn't his appearance that had put his lover off. He looked damn fine, and he knew it. Why then was Yami behaving himself? It was enough to make his already naturally-paranoid brain do cartwheels.

A small smirk played on his lips. Two could play at this game.

Kaiba adjusted the tails of his long coat, moving them out from under his legs. As he did so, he slid closer to Yami until their knees were touching. The pharaoh didn't look his way, but he shifted his body ever so slightly, letting Kaiba know what he was thinking as clearly as if he had spoken aloud: he knew the brunet had moved closer intentionally, and he knew that in this roomy limo there was no need for them to sit so close.

Now the plot thickened.

This was Kaiba's favorite part and the greatest thrill he found in his lover's company. Yami knew what the brunet was doing, Kaiba knew that Yami knew, and Yami undoubtedly knew that Kaiba knew. That fact changed the mechanics of the game entirely. One of Kaiba's favorite moves to make in a duel was to let his opponent figure out his next move. Predicting their counteractions allowed him to remain one step ahead of them. However, when his opponent understood that he was showing his hand on purpose, they could then go one step further. It was this kind of multi-stepped, predictive thinking that allowed the two teens to be as successful as they were.

Kaiba was ready to up the ante.

He slipped one of his long arms along the back of the seat, careful to just barely touch Yami's head. The Egyptian immediately sat up to inspect the intrusion, and when he did Kaiba moved his arm from the seat to around the other man's shoulders. Amethyst eyes studied him, and he met the scrutiny without expression. The brunet was usually very reluctant to be the first to show physical affection, and he knew that his lover had to have noticed the change. Yami said nothing, opting to instead rest his head on Kaiba's arm instead of the seat. He either couldn't figure out the other man's motives or he refused to let his confusion show.

As soon as he was settled again, Kaiba made his next move. He used the arm around Yami's shoulders to pull the other man closer. Again, Yami didn't react. His eyes were closed, and he kept his head back as if he were trying to rest.

Kaiba wasn't fooled for a second.

He placed his free hand on Yami's knee and began to slide it upwards, inch by inch getting closer to a place his lover wouldn't be able to ignore. He felt the Egyptian shudder just barely and smirked. Even if Yami's mind wanted to lie, his body couldn't. Purple eyes drifted open and studied the CEO's face. Kaiba's hand paused temptingly on his inner thigh.

"Kaiba," Yami asked slowly, "what are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Kaiba murmured the words against the other man's neck, letting his hot breath tickle his skin into goosebumps. He felt another tremor run through Yami's body and knew it wouldn't be long now. He was determined to win, even though he wasn't entirely certain what the prize would be. Yami would be in his lap in the next minute; he was sure of it.

Unfortunately, the pharaoh was every bit as aware of the competition as he was and every bit as unwilling to lose.

"I gave you a chance to have me before we left," he whispered in a sultry voice. His instincts were screaming at him to touch Kaiba, but he forcibly stifled them. "You seemed perfectly content to decline back then."

Kaiba smiled seductively. "Maybe I've changed my mind."

"Or maybe you just don't like being denied." Yami returned the smile, but his was sharp like broken glass. "You're used to getting what you want whenever you want it. I'm beginning to think I've been spoiling you."

Kaiba bit back a growl, knowing that getting angry wouldn't help him win. Instead, he let every bit of the hunger now raging in him pour into his eyes as his hand continued its slow creep up Yami's thigh. "An interesting theory, but I think it's more likely that I just can't stop picturing you sprawled under me, glistening with sweat, and panting as you grip the seats for dear life while I thrust into you." He licked his lips for good measure. "It's a rather enticing thought, wouldn't you agree?"

Yami would have answered in the affirmative if his mouth hadn't gone dry. A little voice in the back of his head was irritated that Kaiba knew him so well, but his predominant thought was wondering how quickly he could get out of his clothing and if any of the liquor in the bar could be used as lube.

Just as he regained his capacity for speech, the limo came to a gentle stop in from of the Kame Game Shop. He heard voices outside and recognized the excited chattering of his friends. He let his breath out in one long whoosh, thanking the gods of good timing for saving him.

He smiled angelically at Kaiba. "What a shame. It seems we're here. Better luck next time, sweetheart."

Kaiba was scowling so viciously, Yami had to laugh. The brunet's face said plainly that while Yami had won this round, the war was far from over.

The door to the limo opened a moment later, and Yami slid surreptitiously further away from Kaiba so as not to scandalize his friends.

Yugi popped in first, wearing a version of the suit he'd tried on in the boutique, only much better-fitting.

"Hey, Yami!" he greeted cheerfully. "Hey, Kaiba. You guys looks great." The small teen settled himself in a seat at the back and was immediately followed by a poufy mane of blond hair.

"Nice limo ya got here, Kaiba," Joey crowed. He settled himself next to Yugi and adjusted the lapels on his suit. "Too bad it's not white, or it would match me."

"What a tragedy," Kaiba snarled, crossing his arms petulantly over his chest. It was a testament to how annoyed he was with Yami that he didn't give Joey more of an earful. Yugi shot the pharaoh a worried glance, indicating that he had noticed the rare shift in mood, but Yami merely laughed.

The sound of scuffling came from the door, followed by a girly shriek of pain. In the next moment, Gabe's fiery red hair appeared in the doorway. He had slicked it neatly back, and his purple suit sported a single white rose at the breast. He would have looked downright respectable had it not been for his customary lecherous grin. He was looking immensely pleased with himself as he plopped down next to Joey and unabashedly placed his hand on the blond's knee. Joey immediately blushed so fiercely he was the color of Gabe's hair and surreptitiously slid the man's hand from his knee.

"Long time no see, sexy," Gabe greeted Yami with a wink. "You both look absolutely scrumptious."

Kaiba merely growled again, but Yami mustered up a proper greeting. He then raised his eyebrow and looked back and forth between the redhead and the blond. Gabe caught on to his silent signal immediately and grinned wolfishly. He put his hand back on Joey's knee, and this time the blond let it stay, though he continued to blush furiously. Yami chuckled, knowing he would have to get the details later.

Tristan popped into the limo next, nursing a bruised cheek. It was obvious that Gabe had fought him for the right to sit next to Joey and had won. He looked dashing, despite the sour look on his face. Last but not least came Tea with the driver handing her politely in. It was a good thing she had assistance, because her dress was so low cut, it probably would have slid off her body had she not moved carefully. It was a halter top that tied behind her long neck before cascading down her voluptuous body in a wave of black sequins. The skirt reached to her ankles, but both sides had been split nearly to the top of her thighs. It was stunning on her but much more provocative than anyone had expected. Her hair was pinned up into a neat circle of curls, and pearls dripped from her ears and neck.

Yami gave an appreciative whistle. "Nice dress, Tea. Where's the rest of it?"

"Very funny," the dancer chuckled good-naturedly, arranging her long legs elegantly beneath her as she settled in next to Tristan. "Trust me, the boys have already teased me enough about it, but I think it's hot."

"Oh, it's definitely hot." He turned to Yugi. "Keep an eye on her tonight, or she'll come home with a sixty-year-old corporate husband just dying to blow his millions on her."

Yugi blushed almost as fiercely as Joey. "I'll do that."

"If you geeks are quite finished," Kaiba hissed venomously, "we're going to be late."

As if cued by his boss's irritation, the driver started the car and pulled smoothly away from the curb. Much as everyone was tempted to celebrate the beginning of their evening, they were too busy looking at Kaiba's scowling face.

"Is it just me," Joey whispered loudly to Yugi, "or is Kaiba even moodier than usual?"

"He definitely seems pissed," Tristan whispered back. "By the way, you completely fail at whispering. We can all hear you."

"Including me." Kaiba gave him a withering look, and Joey shrank back in his seat a little.

Yami laughed musically. "This is going to be one hell of a night."

…

**Author's Note: **Sorry this chapter is slightly shorter than normal, but churning out all of those twenty pagers was killing me. Plus, I've started school now and only have so much free time. The good news is, if I write shorter chapters, I can update more frequently. Plus, I have a lot of plot planned for this gala, and packing it all into one chapter would be inhuman. I have no idea how much longer this fic is going to be, but I'd definitely say we're well past the halfway point. If you have opinions on how you want it to end, I'd love to hear them!

I have a few quick notes for you guys: I've had a lot of people asking me for a sex scene where **Kaiba is on the bottom**. I, personally, like for Kaiba to be dominant and bestial at all times, but I'm willing to write it if you guys will read it. It'll be an aside kind of thing, like an epilogue, so perhaps that will help smooth the feathers of the people out there who - like me - don't ever, ever, ever think Kaiba should bottom. Cast your votes now! Should I write Kaiba on bottom or not? The choice is yours.

Also, I had someone ask me in a review why Yami knows pop culture references. I assure you this is not a glaring plot hole. Yami even knows pop culture references in the anime. You don't see him freaking out in arcades or at airports about modern technology. Clearly he's familiar. Also, most of the references he makes (like my infamous "Yalta Conference" joke) are about history or science. My logic is he would have learned about these things while sharing Yugi's body and attending school. Is that good with everyone?

I'm out of **Drinking Game Rules **that don't involve drinking every time something silly happens, so I'll no longer be adding those to the end of chapters. If any of you have played or plan to play the drinking game, let me know how it went/goes!

And finally, I need one more opinion from you guys. Most of you have told me you like **Gabe** and enjoy the dynamic he represents in the story. I've done my best not to make him a Marty Stu (he will never, ever, ever be used as a plot device the way OCs usually are, I promise. AKA, I will never use him to make Kaiba jealous or create a bullshit love triangle), but I do plan to have him play a large role in the next chapter or two. Are you guys okay with that? Also, how do you feel about him and Joey? I've hinted at it, but if you hate the idea, feel free to tell me now.

Yeesh, that was a long note. Please get back to me with opinions, guys! I can't fulfill your every fangirl fantasy if you don't let me know it. XD Until next time!


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note:** Thanks for the input, those of you who reviewed. I've come to a few decisions: I'm going to continue to use Gabe as I originally intended to use him: for plot purposes and as a fun side character. I will also be writing a sex scene between him and Joey for my darling friend **Katie** (she goes by Shadow Vampiress on this site). I'll post it if enough of you want it, but if you don't say you do, Katie gets it all to herself. :P

Secondly, I'm going to write the Kaiba-on-bottom scene. I have not yet decided if I'll include it as an epilogue to this fic or make it separate. I assure you all, however, that I thought of LITERALLY the perfect way to write it. Even I get turned on by the idea, and I'm staunchly against Kaiba as a sub. I encourage all of you to have faith in my writing and give it a shot regardless of how I decide to post it. Do it because you love me? :3

General note: the "h" key on my keyboard has gone all wonky, so if you spot an inordinate amount of "h"-related typos in this chapter, please let me know so I can fix them. I'm really sorry about this, but there isn't much I can do, except try to catch them all when I edit.

Without further ado, I present part II of The Gala.

…

…

The sound of murmured conversation was punctuated by clicking heels and clinking champagne glasses. The enormous ballroom was lit by a mixture of elaborate candelabra and sparkling chandeliers. Bouquets of soft white lilies adorned every table, and the walls were draped with fine ivory satin. A dozen sets of French glass doors had been left open to let the crisp night air filter in gently, carrying the perfume of roses and midnight. Strains of violin wafted over the crowd from a string quartet tucked into a corner. It satisfied every cherished idea of a gala that Yami had ever had.

The people within the grand ballroom were every bit as polished as their surroundings. The women were swathed in fine fabric and even finer jewels while the men sported expensive suits in every style imaginable. It was almost impossible to tell the ages of anyone in the room beneath the careful makeup and plastic smiles.

A woman standing near Yami laughed airily and batted her eyelashes in response to something her date had said. It was like watching a movie: so affected it just couldn't be real.

"He must be loaded if she's willing to laugh at such a lame joke," said a voice at Yami's elbow. He turned his head and saw Gabe holding two glasses of champagne, one of which he politely proffered to him. The Egyptian took it and grinned gratefully. He already knew he'd have to down several of these to make it through the night with his sanity intact.

"Where's your hot date, sweetheart?"

Gabe laughed. "Hell if I know. I'm beginning to think we got ditched."

A gaggle of nearby females sent the two boys flirtatious winks while intermittently giggling to each other. Yami pointedly ignored them and scanned the crowd. Joey and Tristan had made a beeline for the food-laden tables lining the dance floor the moment they'd arrived. He imagined they wouldn't reemerge until their suits no longer fit properly. Tea had been whisked away almost immediately by an older man with a jovial face that was probably looking for a young bride to lavish his riches on. Yugi had watched Tea leave with wide, sad eyes and was now discreetly following her around the edge of the dance floor, obviously intending to cut in at the first available opportunity. Kaiba was apparently still sore about the cocktease he received in the limo, because he'd muttered something about greeting business associates and stalked away at the first available opportunity.

The only person who had bothered to stay at Yami's side was Gabe, and he was endlessly grateful for the company. There was a hungry gleam in the eyes of the women that looked his way that said they couldn't be turned down easily. They were accustomed to getting what they wanted, and right now it seemed they were quite intrigued by Gabe and Yami. He had to admit, they were easily the most exotic-looking men in the room, as well as the most obviously out of place.

"Some shindig, eh?" Gabe's green eyes drifted over to the women, and he gave them a coquettish wink. They immediately giggled and turned away, only to sneak a look at him a moment later.

"Please don't encourage them." Yami rolled his eyes. "Won't Joey be jealous? Or are you looking to have some wild make-up sex later tonight?"

"You wound me, babe, truly you do. A gentleman never kisses and tells."

"You may be wearing a nice suit, but that hardly makes you a gentleman."

"When in Rome…" Gabe smiled. "This places doubles as a hotel and resort, right? Maybe if we get bored, we can go get massages."

"I'm pretty sure Kaiba will happily murder me if I disappear."

"You mean like what he did to you the second we got in the door?"

Yami stiffened as he suddenly felt a strange hand on the small of his back. He sent out a silent prayer that one of those prowling women hadn't gotten daring.

Much to his relief, he heard a familiar voice. "Think again, Gabe. You can't hog him all night."

Kaiba had finally reappeared and seemed to be in a much better mood than before. At least, he was in a better mood by his own standards. His scowl had disappeared, and he seemed to have relaxed a little. Next to him stood an attractive couple in their mid-forties, both of which were smiling hesitantly at Yami. The woman had soft blond curls pinned into a neat bun at the base of her neck and a motherly face. The man had creases around his mouth that suggested he smiled easily and often and hair that was slightly tousled in an almost boyish manner.

"Yami, I wanted to introduce you to the Schneiders." Kaiba nodded in the direction of the couple. "They own many of the stores that are the largest distributors of Kaiba Corp merchandise in Europe." He gave them a look that Yami interpreted as affectionate. "We've been working together for quite some time. I suppose you'd call them old friends."

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Yami politely shook the man's hand before gently kissing the woman's knuckles.

Mr. Schneider gave him a large smile. "I can't tell you how surprised we were to see Seto here. He usually goes to great lengths to avoid these parties." His voice had a faint German accent.

Mrs. Schneider leaned toward Yami and covered her mouth conspiratorially. "Now we realize he's here because he has a hot date to show off."

Kaiba coughed, and the Egyptian man was positive he was covering up a surprised snort. "I'm here to demonstrate the new line of Duel Disks first and foremost. You know how seriously I take my work."

The older man clapped the brunet on the back with familiarity that Yami had never before seen someone show Kaiba. "Too seriously, if you ask me." He laughed good-naturedly and turned to his wife. "I think we've embarrassed our friend enough. Let's leave him to his date."

Mrs. Schneider gave Yami a wink before turning to Kaiba. "We're looking forward to the demonstration. If it goes well, you can expect a large order from us when the Disk is ready to be released to the public." The two floated off into the crowd, and as soon as they were gone, Yami turned to Kaiba.

"What nice people." He grinned shamelessly, unable to resist the urge to tease his lover. "I suppose you'll be introducing me as your date from now on."

He'd meant the comment as a joke, but Kaiba's face was perfectly serious. "I suppose I will."

Yami had to visibly struggle to keep his mouth from dropping open. That was… not the reaction he'd expected. Before he could respond, Kaiba spotted another one of his business associates and went off to greet them, leaving Yami and Gabe behind.

"And here I thought I'd have to work to get all the juicy gossip," Gabe teased, his green eyes dancing. "Is it true, babe? I can't believe you didn't tell me. Are you Kaiba's _date_?"

"Date is a strong word."

"Breaking out the puns already? I'm going to need more champagne."

Yami was too dazed to notice the redhead take their empty glasses and flit away. He stood perfectly still, processing Kaiba's words and serious expression. It wasn't until a second glass of champagne found its way miraculously into his hand that he began to recover.

"So spill." Gabe took a sip of his champagne. "When did you and the brunet wonder start dropping the d-bomb with each other?"

"Right this very second." Yami blinked owlishly. "I… what should I do?"

"I really hope you're not complaining, babe. An unbelievably sexy multi-millionaire just laid public claim to you. I fail to see how this is in any way negative."

"It's just…" Yami stumbled over his words as he attempted to think of a way to explain himself. "It's a lot more complicated than that."

"Why? Why is it complicated?"

Yami ran an exasperated hand through his spiky hair. "It just is."

"I hate to break this shocking news to you, babe, but you live together, work together, sleep together, and are each other's favorite playmates in the game that made you both famous. If you hadn't started dating by now, _then_ people would think something of it. Seriously, if you had any possessions, you'd have your own drawer in his room."

The Egyptian bit his lip, abruptly hit by the realization that Gabe was mostly correct. For all intents and purposes, Kaiba and Yami had all the components of a legitimate couple. The only thing that was missing was a declaration of the fact, and the brunet seemed to be in the process of making that happen.

"We don't _feel_ like we're dating, though," Yami argued lamely. "The sex is there and the common interests are there, but couples are supposed to be a unit, right?"

"Sure, if you live in a fairytale." Gabe's eyes turned serious for the first time since Yami had met him. "My mother always told me that if any boy ever says I complete him, I should run the other way. Couples are composed of two individuals who should be complete on their own. You don't have to constantly moon after each other to be classified as dating, and you certainly won't be stripped of your free will just because you have a boyfriend." He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Babe, when did you quit smoking?"

Yami blinked again. "What?"

"Think about it: when was the last time you had a cigarette? The day Kaiba walked into our bar and swept you off your feet? When did you stop drinking? When did you stop feeling lost and start feeling like you have a legitimate place in the world?"

Yami began to wonder if he'd been asleep this entire time. He'd never noticed that as soon as Kaiba had become more than a rival to him, so much had changed.

"The main identifying factor in a relationship is how much two people affect each other," Gabe continued. "It's not what you say or how many dates you go on; it's how much your lives overlap with each other. You didn't even realize that he was bettering you until it was too late, am I right?"

Yami grinned. "I'm surprised to hear you describe it as 'bettering', considering how much you love to party."

Gabe shrugged with feigned nonchalance. "Don't get me wrong, I love to get my freak on, but even though I haven't known you for very long, I've never felt like my lifestyle suited you very well. It's been nice to see you so much healthier, even if I would rather drag you down into the dirt with me."

"I'm touched, sweetheart. I never knew you cared."

"Just think of me as your conscience."

"That is easily the most horrifying idea I've ever heard."

Both men laughed without restraint, and several people turned around to give them snooty looks.

Yami downed his glass of champagne and immediately stopped a nearby waiter to get another one. He was beginning to realize how vastly he'd underestimated the amount of alcohol he'd need to get through the night. He grinned at Gabe. "I haven't completely stopped drinking, now have I?"

"A drop in the ocean, babe. Drinking socially hardly counts. Kaiba's changed just as much as you have, you know."

Yami quirked an eyebrow. "When did you have time to learn what Kaiba is normally like?"

"I spend all my time listening to the life stories of slobbering drunks. I've learned a thing or two about the way people think. I'll wager that if someone had told you when you first met Kaiba that he was not only pretty damn understanding when it comes down to it but also capable of wanting a relationship, you would have laughed outright."

Yami didn't deny it. A waiter wordlessly deposited another glass of champagne in his hand, and he began to have trouble remembering how many he'd had.

Gabe continued, "I'm also willing to wager that the reason you never thought of Kaiba as someone you're 'dating' is because the living situation between you is actually perfectly casual. It's never once seemed odd to go home to him, to sleep next to him, or to wake up with him every morning. Where do you think that inexplicable comfort comes from?"

Yami opened his mouth to supply an answer only to discover he didn't really have one. He was _cohabitating_ with the sexy brunet, and yet the terminology had somehow never occurred to him. Had he really been so blind?

Gabe smiled wickedly. "Allow me to explain everything. You feel so effortlessly comfortable because Kaiba has gone out of his way to ensure that you do, and he probably doesn't even realize he's doing it. You've told me before that he spent years telling you that your relationships with others were useless, even detrimental. Did it ever occur to you that he did that because he's actually incredibly lonely? Relationships don't come easily to him, so he told himself and others again and again that he didn't want them in the first place. You're the only person he's ever deeply related to, even if it was in the capacity of respect for your rivalry. As much as you've changed because of him, he's changed because of you. You've made him realize that he doesn't have to thumb his nose at the world to compensate for the fact that no one's ever done him any favors. Because of you, he's realized that he doesn't have to be alone anymore, and I'm willing to bet he'd do anything to keep you from even thinking about leaving."

Yami's brain attempted to power though the alcohol and process this astounding truth, but all he could do was sluggishly wonder how many hours of torture Kaiba would put Gabe through if he heard him talking like this.

"Gabe, honestly… I don't know if you're completely brilliant or utterly insane."

"The two tend to go marvelously together, in my opinion. Like vodka and cranberry juice."

"Ugh, no more alcohol. Please, for the love of Ra." Yami gave his friend a wry look. "Since when are you so insightful?"

"Shit had to get real sometime. I couldn't let you carry on in your little dream world in which two intensely passionate people can fuck like bunnies and have it mean nothing forever. You needed to wake up before you lost a good thing."

Yami resisted the urge to cringe. He really had been completely blind. He had let his assumptions about Kaiba's character override what was right in front of his eyes.

Now he just needed to decide how he felt about it. This added some unexpected pressure to what had previously been a casual relationship.

Yami sighed. "Kaiba is still Kaiba, though. I doubt he and I are suddenly going to be holding hands and going for long walks on the beach."

"Of course not. You don't have to be like a shitty romance novel or like any 'normal' couple in order to be a couple. You're still individuals with different personalities. You just happen to be overwhelmingly attracted to each other and are probably the only people on the face of the planet smart enough to keep the other interested."

Yami let out a long breath that he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "Yugi and the gang are absolutely going to flip their shit when they find out."

Gabe winked. "I'll be sure to keep Joey too occupied with other things to notice. The rest of them are up to you, though."

"What's up to you?"

Both men started when a deep voiced sounded nearby. Kaiba had returned again, this time alone. Yami almost smiled up at him until he noticed that the throng of flirtatious females had grown even larger. They were staring straight at them with glittering eyes that reminded Yami of creatures skulking in the woods at night. Yami had incorrectly assumed that the women could not get any more desperate to garner some attention; the addition of Kaiba to the scene had apparently spurred them on even further. Now they had three beautiful men to ogle, one of which happened to be a well-known multi-millionaire.

Yami restrained the hand that he wanted to lay possessively on Kaiba's chest, knowing it would only spur some of the kinkier women on. Beyond that, he hadn't forgotten about the seduction game his lover had started with him, and he was still every bit as determined to win as before.

"Nothing," Yami replied calmly, slipping his hands casually into his pockets. He cast a disinterested glance around the room, as if he couldn't care less if Kaiba were there or not. He could practically feel the heat from his lover's gaze on his skin. The brunet was getting irritated and fast. "So when are we going to test that new Duel Disk of yours? I'll do anything to break up the tedium of this party."

"We have some time before that will happen." Kaiba's voice hinted at what they could be doing with that time, but Yami deftly ignored the innuendo.

Gabe silently watched the two, sensing that something deeper was going on but not knowing precisely what. The redhead wondered if he should excuse himself before he got caught in the line of fire.

Before Gabe could decide, Kaiba took an unnecessary step forward, bringing him nearly flush with the Egyptian.

"Yami." His voice rumbled in that undeniably sexy way that normally made Yami shiver.

He reined himself in with barely-concealed effort and flicked his purple eyes carelessly up to meet Kaiba's. "Yes?"

"I was wondering if you would like to get some fresh air." The brunet's blue eyes were smoldering in a way that plainly said this was not a question. He wanted them to be alone, and he wanted it _now._

Yami swallowed. "What did you have in mind?"

There was no mistaking the ghost of a smirk that danced across Kaiba's lips. It let Yami know exactly what the taller man had in mind, and it promised that he would enjoy every minute of it.

"Join me on the balcony." Again, it wasn't a request.

Yami glanced towards the open French doors across the room, needing an excuse to break Kaiba's intense eye contact. If he didn't, he was going to cave any second. He pretended to consider the doors for a moment, as if he were estimating the amount of effort it would take to walk all the way over there. He waited until precisely the right moment: when Kaiba shifted his weight almost imperceptibly from one foot to the other. He was getting impatient, which meant he was also getting irritable, and that meant his sexy spell could be easily broken. Yami stood a chance of winning this round after all.

"Sure. Lead the way."

The Egyptian winked at Gabe, and the redhead smiled slyly in return before saying, "I guess it's about time I located my date. You kids have fun. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"That leaves us with quite a few options," Kaiba said with a devastatingly sexy smirk. Yami swore he almost swooned. This was going to be one long night.

Before he could protest, the brunet placed one large hand on the small of his back and began guiding him fluidly across the floor. The Egyptian sent a pleading look over his shoulder at Gabe, but the other man could only shrug helplessly.

He was in the claws of the dragon now, and he doubted he could escape in one piece. They passed the assortment of voracious females on their way out, and Yami saw Kaiba shoot them a look nasty enough to wilt a fresh blossom. The women shrank back, looking appalled, and Yami couldn't help but chuckle.

"I wonder how long that will deter them."

"Not long, if my past experience with spoiled debutantes holds true."

They slipped past throngs of dancing couples and then through the elegant French doors on the opposite side of the ballroom. The balcony was quite large: it could have easily fit a third of the guests outside and seemed to have been designed with air shows and fireworks in mind. It was made of cool gray stone made cooler by the brisk night air. Thick ivy grew along the ledges and over a number of stone benches set along the perimeter. The string quartet could still be heard from outside, wafting over the sound of wind whistling through trees. A full moon hung high above them, bathing them in waves of silver light. The view was even more spectacular: perfectly-manicured grass swept over gently rolling hills for miles in every direction. The resort was enclosed by a thick forest that lent an air of absolute privacy to the location. A large, sparkling lake dotted the center of the property, and Yami could perfectly imagine having a midnight picnic on its shore.

"This place is really beautiful," Yami breathed. He walked over to the edge of the balcony and leaned against it, looking out at the lovely landscape.

"You should see the pool," Kaiba chuckled. He sauntered over to lean next to his spiky-haired lover. "It's like something out of a theme park. It even has a waterfall."

"Is there a cave behind the waterfall?"

The brunet raised a fine eyebrow. "Why do you ask?"

Yami smiled coyly. "No reason."

Kaiba wasn't about to accept that for an answer. He glanced over his shoulder to make sure they weren't being watched. The socialites inside were too busy dancing and mingling to notice two lone figures standing in the night. The brunet turned back to Yami and stepped closer. As soon as he did, the Egyptian's body responded in ways too subtle for most to notice: he lifted his chin to bring his face closer to Kaiba's and his body turned towards him, as if he were just about to move closer.

Kaiba smirked. Yami could play whatever games he wanted, but his body was incapable of deceit. "Why don't you just tell me already? You know you can't keep anything from me."

"Shows how much you know, sweetheart," Yami countered defiantly, grinning. Despite his bravado, his heart was beginning to beat faster. Kaiba's face in the moonlight was a sight so lovely, he doubted he would ever grow tired of it.

Kaiba was equally mesmerized by how dark and velvety Yami's eyes were at night. They were the most intoxicating blend of deep amethyst and sultry crimson: the perfect joining of late sunset and early sunrise. Even his skin color transformed from tan to oiled bronze.

Kaiba moved even closer, placing his hands on the balcony ledge on either side of Yami's body. He saw his lover shiver minutely. The Egyptian was a sucker for being pinned, and he would have to work hard to hide his reaction to their position.

The brunet let his eyes linger on Yami's lips, then he began to tilt his head down slowly. Inch by tantalizing inch, he moved closer while Yami breathlessly waited to see what he would do. At the last possible moment, Kaiba veered off just slightly and turned to Yami's ear.

His breath was hot and tickling against it. "Tell me, Yami. I want you…" he paused devilishly, "to tell me."

There was no more oxygen left in the world.

Yami gulped down breaths that did nothing to satisfy his need for air. His body throbbed with the desire to press itself against the warm pillar of muscle before him. Only a nagging, prideful voice in the back of his mind kept him firmly in place. Kaiba still thought he could win their game, and this was one round he needed to lose. If the brunet wanted him that badly, he was going to have to prove it for once.

Yami's mind sounded resolute, but his body was losing willpower at an alarming rate. He needed to act quickly or else he would never last.

Little did Yami know, Kaiba was having an even harder time reining himself in. Part of him was driven by his arrogant determination to make his lover cave, but the biggest part was filled with an ache he couldn't identify. He _needed_ for Yami to give in, to touch him, to let him know he was wanted. He'd never had to question the other man's desire before tonight, and he'd found he didn't have a taste for uncertainty. This issue had grown much bigger than their silly game. It was doubtful that either man really understood what they were battling now.

"I have an idea," Yami murmured. He had only precious seconds left before his instincts took over and sent him flying into his lover's arms. He needed to get Kaiba to move away, and he could think of only one way to accomplish that. "Why don't I just show you?"

The smirk on Kaiba's face said everything: Yami had just made a grave miscalculation.

"I think we have time for a quick tour of the pool before we need to be back." The brunet was practically purring. He could already taste his victory. Instead of freeing himself, Yami had just become even more firmly trapped. Kaiba wouldn't have done anything to him on the balcony, not while anyone could glance outside and see them. The pool, however, was surrounded by a high wall of natural rock formations that would conceal their location from anyone not within the perimeter. Within that perfect seclusion, Kaiba would seize his victory.

Yami swallowed and tried to think of a way out of this situation. Unfortunately, even his brilliant mind couldn't work fast enough. Kaiba was already starting towards a wide stone staircase on the far side of the balcony. The brunet smirked and offered him his arm as if he were a princess being escorted to the ball.

The Egyptian growled under his breath and ignored Kaiba's arm. If he was going to be led into a trap, he was at least going to go with some dignity.

The two started down the stairs just in time to miss a small commotion inside. Several waiters dived out of the way as a mop of disheveled blond hair attached to a man stampeded through the crowd, followed by two quieter, nervous-looking men.

"Joey, stop causing a scene," Tristan scolded, attempting to keep his voice low enough for only Joey to hear.

Unfortunately, Joey paid him much less mind than the horrified guests around them. "Where the hell did Yami and Kaiba go? I can't believe they would just ditch us like that!"

"To be fair, you ditched us first…" Gabe said with a pout as the blond continued his haphazard search.

Yugi and Tea appeared, attracted by the ruckus Joey was causing. The spiky-haired boy rolled his eyes and called out, "Joey, stop it! I'm sure they're not under the piano!"

The blond climbed out from under the large instrument while a number of musicians moved cautiously away from him. "Then where did they go? I'm just trying to make sure I don't miss the Duel Disk demonstration. If I can't learn to work it, I can't kick Kaiba's snobby ass with it."

"You'll definitely miss it if you get us kicked out, genius," Tea hissed with a roll of her eyes. Joey rubbed his head and grinned sheepishly, signaling to his friends that he was ready to stop being ridiculous.

"I'm probably going to regret this," Gabe said slowly, "but since I'm curious as well, I might as well tell you: the last time I saw those two, they were standing outside. Now they're gone, and there's only one way to get off the balcony without coming back inside."

Joey cocked his head to the side. "They jumped?"

The group groaned as a collective whole.

"I'm pretty sure he means they went down that staircase," Tristan sighed, pointing to the top stair that was just barely visible from their position indoors.

"They'll be back soon enough," Gabe continued with a nonchalant shrug. "In the meantime let's just enjoy the party."

"Why don't we follow them?" Joey asked. "Maybe they found something fun to do."

Gabe immediately tensed up. The blond's words were undoubtedly incredibly accurate, but not in the way he expected.

"I don't think that'd be a great idea." The redhead tried to keep his voice from sounding panicked. He didn't know what Yami's relationship was with these kids, but he highly doubted he wanted them to walk in on what he and the brunet did when they were behind closed doors. He mentally flailed around for a suitable excuse. "We might get… lost… or something."

"Even that would be better than standing around here." Tea shrugged.

"Yeah," Tristan agreed, "none of the women here seem to want to dance, and I couldn't eat another bite if I tried. Let's go on an adventure!"

Gabe glanced frantically at Yugi, but the shorter man merely shrugged his shoulders. "Sounds okay to me."

The group began turning towards the French doors, and the redhead knew he needed to act fast. In a final moment of sheer desperation, Gabe balled his hands at his side and shrieked at the top of his lungs, "JOEY, WHY HAVE YOU BEEN IGNORING ME ALL NIGHT? I DON'T KNOW HOW I UPSET YOU, BUT YOU PROMISED YOU'D DANCE WITH ME! ALL I WANT IS ONE DANCE!"

"What?" Joey lurched around at the sound of Gabe's screaming and blinked with confusion.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'RE BEING SO CRUEL!" Gabe continued to shout as every eye in the room turned to him. His lips formed a trembling pout, and his feline green eyes began to fill with tears. He clasped his hands to his chest and formed the perfect picture of desolation. "ALL I ASKED FOR WAS ONE DANCE! WHY WON'T YOU DO THIS FOR ME? PLEASE DON'T WALK AWAY FROM ME LIKE THIS! I'LL TRY HARDER TO MAKE YOU HAPPY! PLEASE GIVE ME ANOTHER CHANCE!"

This was precisely what he needed: a distraction. He couldn't do much, but he could hopefully buy Yami and Kaiba some time.

"Oh, the poor thing," a nearby woman whispered loudly to her partner. "He looks so heartbroken."

"What a jerk!" a younger couple chimed in, glaring daggers at Joey. "I can't believe he's ignoring his date like that. He clearly has terrible manners!"

One of the prowling females from earlier ran up to Gabe and engulfed him in a satin hug. "You're way too pretty for him anyways. Why don't you come join my girlfriends and me? We'll gladly dance with you."

"Hey now!" Joey sputtered as everyone within hearing range sent him withering looks. "He never said anything of the sort to me!"

"YOU NEVER LISTEN TO MEEEEEEEE!" Gabe wailed, making his voice as dramatic as possible now that he had the attention he needed."I ONLY ASKED FOR ONE THING TONIGHT, AND YOU CAN'T EVEN REMEMBER THAT! PLEASE DON'T LEAVE MEEEEEEEE!"

"But I-!" Joey couldn't even finish his sentence before the crowd broke out in angry whispers.

"That's just shameful," an older man said with a shake of his head. "Kids today are so greedy. That poor boy should find someone who treats him better."

Joey turned to his friends only to discover he had no support there either. Yugi, Tristan, and Tea were all visibly shaking with barely-contained laughter. They didn't yet know why Gabe was stalling for time, but it was obvious he was determined to get his way.

"Better go cheer your date up, Joey." Tristan clapped the incredibly confused blond on the back. "This crowd might get ugly if you don't."

The blond glanced warily at Gabe, but the redhead was already beaming innocently, all traces of his former distress completely gone from his face. He sauntered over with a sway of his hips and happily clasped Joey's arm, looking for all intents and purposes as if the conflict had never happened.

"Does no one find it odd that two men just had a fight about dancing together in the middle of a giant business party?" Joey questioned as his friends pushed him towards the dance floor.

"I think everyone here is too rich to care." Tea grinned. "Have fun, you crazy kids! You get one dance, and then we're going to go find the others."

_Yami,_ Gabe thought with a sly mental grin, _you owe me so big time._

…

…

**Author's Note:** It turns out I had a lot more plot planned for this gala than I thought. Two chapters is now going to become three, but I highly doubt it'll be any longer than that. I had to cut this part off in a way that would allow me to tell the next section in one go without making it monstrously long.

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I hope even more that you will take the time to tell me how much you enjoyed it. =D Until next time!


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note:** I finally settled on an ending that I like and think fits this fic ^^. We're drawing near the end, folks! I can't really estimate how many more chapters there will be, but I'll be shocked if it's more than **three**, counting this one, and one of those chapters will be the epilogue I talked about. I hope you've all had as much fun reading this as I've had writing it.

Someone asked me recently if I plan to write more fics for this fandom and/or this pairing. The answer is **Yes.** However, I'm going to focus on a Naruto fic next, and the majority of what I write for this fandom will be one shots. I have a plan to write a much more light-hearted fic for this fandom, but for the most part Ne'er-do-Well is going to be my single YGO masterpiece.

Thanks for all the support, and I hope I'll continue to see many of you around when I write in the future ^^.

Also, there's a pretty nifty video game reference in this chapter. If you think you know the video game Yami is talking about, send me a review with your guess, and I'll send you a **special mystery prize**! (hint: it involves PhotoShop and a picture of Kaiba. )

…

…

"I have to admit, sweetheart," Yami said in a slightly breathless voice, "this really is spectacular."

Kaiba smirked. "You never should have doubted me."

Yami ignored his lover's smug comment and continued to stare around him in amazement. The brunet had led him down the balcony stairs, along a cobblestone path, and into a clearing enclosed by natural black rock formations. Within the rocks, the ground transformed into sheets of glossy marble, which in turn became the most fantastic pool that Yami had ever seen. It was twenty feet deep in places and stretched on for the length of five Olympic-sized pools. The water was sectioned off into several large areas of different shapes and depths, all of which were connected by long water channels so swimmers could move from one place to the next without getting out.

An array of gorgeous marble fountains dotted the scene, shooting arcs of water high into the air. Tiny lights in the trees and nestled into the rocks added the perfect amount of ambience, and they shifted color continuously. Four diving boards set at different heights marked the deepest stretch of water, as did three towering slides: one that had a steep fall, another that spiraled, and a third that formed a sloping, hollow tunnel to another section entirely. The pool area also had a large hot tub off to the side that had been made to look like a natural spring: it was formed by a gentle dip in the ground, surrounded by rocks and soft sand, and warm water bubbled up continuously from the deepest point. Picnic tables, gazebos, and lounge chairs dotted the perimeter.

In short, it was heaven.

"Please tell me you have some kind of membership to this place so we can come back here whenever we want." Yami slowly pivoted in place, trying to look at everything at once. He could already imagine himself lazing in the sun with a half-naked Kaiba by his side. The imagery made a shiver of desire tickle down his spine.

The taller man chuckled but didn't answer. It was his wordless way of reminding the Egyptian that he was talking to Seto Kaiba, one of the few men on the face of the planet who could go pretty much anywhere he wanted.

"Good point," Yami conceded. "That was a dumb question.

His eyes searched every nook and cranny carefully. He finally spotted what he was looking for towards the far left side of the secluded enclosure. A large, circular pool had been separated from the rest and partially hidden by more rocks and palm trees. Only a thin space between the rocks allowed access to it, but Yami could just make out waves lapping up against its raised walls. They were currently the only two people in the area, so the only thing that could make the water splash like that was…

"Jackpot. Found the waterfall." Yami grinned as he jogged around for a better look. As he drew closer, he heard an unmistakable dull roar: just as he'd guessed, water was tumbling down from the rocks' crest, and a large light had been placed behind the waterfall to make it look like different colors were continuously falling from the heavens.

Yami smiled triumphantly as he reached the narrow opening. "If there's a light behind it, there must be a space, and that means there must be a cave."

"You're going to get your suit wet."

Yami started as a warm voice tickled his ear. He hadn't realized that Kaiba was following him. The brunet stood just behind him with his arms crossed over his gorgeous scarlet coat, looking like a perfect mixture of amusement and irritation.

The purple-eyed man shot his lover a mischievous look. "Don't be such a drag, sweetheart. It's adventure time."

"I fail to see how an artificial waterfall constitutes an adventure."

"You're ruining the magic."

Before Kaiba could protest further, Yami slipped between the opening in the rocks and paused to admire the view. Moonlight bounced off the choppy surface of the water like scattering diamonds, and the backlighting made the waterfall seem like a solid sheet of incandescent glitter. The pool was considerably bigger than it had seemed from the outside, leaving plenty of room for people to avoid the waves if they wished.

Yami squatted down and touched his hand to the surface. The water was precisely the same temperature as his body, making him feel as if he were dipping his hand into heavy air. He fought back the urge to strip his clothes off here and now. Stepping into this pool would be like stepping into the most exquisite bath ever, but he knew Kaiba would kill him if he returned to the gala sopping wet.

As if on cue, he felt something brush against his back. The brunet was standing behind him again, still looking like he couldn't decide if he wanted to laugh or scowl. Yami turned slightly and noticed with a grin that squatting brought him eye-level with his lover's hips and all the other wonderful body parts in that area.

Kaiba was frowning slightly. "Why are you so obsessed with the cave behind the waterfall?"

Yami chuckled and managed to leash his desire long enough to answer the question. "It reminds me of a cute video game Yugi used to play all the time."

"What game?"

"I don't remember the name, but it had a blond child with a sword, and there was this leaf creature that played a violin held like a cello."

"Either you're insane or that was the least helpful description of a video game I've ever heard."

Having had enough with the small talk, Yami grinned and waited for his lover to notice his position. He saw Kaiba stiffen in more ways than one when he fully realized just how suggestive they looked right now.

"Hey, Kaiba," Yami chuckled, "since I'm down here anyways…"

"Don't even think about it." The taller man scowled, though Yami noted with pleasure that it lacked true venom. "We're in public. One of my business associates could come looking for us at any moment."

"Like that's ever stopped us before." Yami pivoted his torso but didn't rise. Kaiba shifted as if to move away, but the smaller man was not to be denied. He grabbed Kaiba's hips and pulled him close, sliding his fingers down taut muscle and flesh.

The brunet shivered before he could stop himself and tried to look anywhere but down. Yami's beautiful face was bathed in moonlight, turning his skin the color of fresh cream, and his eyes sparkled with sultry glee.

God, he looked so good on his knees.

Kaiba finally couldn't help it. He glanced down and met Yami's gaze, and he immediately regretted the decision. The Egyptian slowly licked his lips in a heart-stoppingly sexy way and trailed his hands up, up, up the brunet's thighs ever so slowly. The shiver Kaiba had tried to restrain finally escaped, along with a soft moan that he hoped Yami couldn't hear over the pounding water.

Yami heard it perfectly, however, and he knew all was going according to plan. The brunet no doubt believed that he'd finally won their game of seduction, and Yami had every intention of using this to his advantage. First he would get revenge on Kaiba for making him hot and bothered all night - and for all the other times he'd left him hanging because of trivial things like "work" or "public nudity laws" - then he would ensure that his sexy lover didn't ever consider messing with his hormones like this again.

"Kaiba," Yami purred, looking up at the brunet through lidded eyes, "I want you."

The CEO bit his lip to hide the growl rumbling in the back of his throat. Yami was almost irresistible when he got that look in his eye, and the sight of him kneeling before him, hungrily licking his lips… It was almost too much.

"We can't, Yami," Kaiba managed to say, though his voice was already growing husky with desire. Against his will, one of his hands found its way into Yami's hair. He longed to grab a handful of it and yank, but he held himself back. The Egyptian teen turned his head up and kissed Kaiba's wrist, sending yet another shiver through the brunet. He cupped Yami's cheek and sighed as the other man immediately nuzzled against his hand. He could feel heat gathering in his body. If this kept up, he wouldn't be able to resist that supple skin and impish smile for long.

Yami turned his face up again to meet Kaiba's gaze. There was an inferno crackling in his purple eyes, one that wanted to consume the taller man whole. It was depthless and all-encompassing, and the brunet swallowed thickly as he felt himself getting lost in a vortex of amethyst flame.

"Kaiba…" he whispered silkily, "I want to taste you."

Those words alone broke what little resolve Kaiba had left.

He fisted one of his hands in Yami's hair and yanked the other man to his feet. Yami hissed but knew better than to struggle. They'd done rougher things than that to each other in the heat of the moment.

"How many times do I have to say no?" Kaiba hissed, his eyes were glittering with blue-black desire. Yami felt goosebumps race across his skin as that familiar dangerous look pierced right through him.

"Until you mean it." The Egyptian slipped his arms around his lover's waist and pulled him close. Kaiba growled but couldn't keep himself from melting into the embrace. They'd both been suffering all night, and it felt so good to finally touch each other.

Yami turned them around and guided them backwards towards the edge of the enclosure. In a moment, his back hit something solid - the rocks - and Kaiba had him perfectly pinned. They wasted no time in taking advantage of the position: Yami nibbled on the taller man's throat while Kaiba raked his fingers through the soft, spiky hair he'd come to know so well.

"Why so eager all of a sudden?" the brunet whispered against Yami's forehead. "You've been fending me off all night only to abruptly change back into the voracious sex fiend I've known all along."

"I wanted to give you a taste of your own medicine earlier," Yami murmured. He leaned up and locked lips with Kaiba, thoroughly kissing him until they both pulled breathlessly away. "But right now I needed to distract you long enough to enact my revenge."

Kaiba's eyes went wide at these words, but it was already too late.

Yami placed both of his palms on the man's chest and shoved as hard as he could. The brunet stumbled back five steps, the exact number of steps between himself and the raised wall of the pool. The back of his ankles hit the edge, and in one graceless arc he began to fall backwards. The moment was so filled with tension and disbelief, it seemed to last an eternity. The three seconds that it took for Kaiba to hit the surface were an endless montage of his surprised face, the pounding of Yami's heart, and the _whoosh_ of displaced air.

The impact splash was deafening. Kaiba disappeared below the surface, transforming into no more than a warped scarlet blob.

"I almost can't believe I had the balls to do that," Yami said to himself, caught between wanting to laugh and wanting to run for his life. "He's going to straight-up murder me."

The Egyptian barely had time to consider running before Kaiba came sputtering to the surface, swiping water and matted bangs from his eyes. For a moment, the two men merely locked eyes. Yami could tell just from looking at his face that Kaiba had never, _ever_ expected anything of the sort from him. His expression flashed continuously between anger and disbelief, as if he simply couldn't decide what to feel.

After the tensest moment of Yami's life, Kaiba spoke, "What… _what the hell was that for?_"

"For being an incorrigible tease, for telling other people I'm your date before telling me, and for thinking my insatiable libido means I can't resist you if I want." Yami's grin belied his matter-of-fact tone. "In all honesty, I've just never seen something embarrassing happen to you. I was curious."

Kaiba, for the first time in his life, was utterly speechless.

He stared up at Yami, barely registering his smug smile and crossed arms. He dazedly wondered if he would ever meet another person with such blatant disregard for their own well being. Any normal human would consider Yami's actions a suicide attempt.

Strangely enough… Kaiba wasn't angry. He was plenty irritated, but another part of him almost _understood_ the other man's ridiculous and childish maneuver. Sometimes it felt good to get a little petty revenge. He knew that first hand.

That didn't mean he was going to let Yami off easy, though. "I hope you realize I could drown you in this pool right now, bury your body on the grounds, and get any one of my wealthy associates to provide me with both an alibi and a team of lawyers."

"That would probably scare a normal person, but to us it's practically foreplay."

Kaiba chuckled. "You're lucky my phone wasn't in my pocket, or I'd really be pissed."

"Like you couldn't just buy another one. I'd be more worried about that jacket of yours."

The brunet scowled. "Luckily for you, I had two made. I can easily have Roland bring me the spare. Now, are you going to give me a hand out or not, you damn brat?"

Yami smiled with relief and sauntered over. "You look really sexy with your hair all tousled and wet." The Egyptian bent down and offered Kaiba his hand.

The CEO took Yami's hand, and suddenly the predatory grin was back.

Yami's eyes widened as he realized his mistake.

"Oh shit!" He tried to pull back, but it was too late. With one mighty tug, Kaiba yanked the Egyptian head over heels and into the pool. The water was as warm and wonderful as he'd imagined, but that didn't little to soothe him. As soon as he recovered from the shock, he scrambled for the surface. When he reached air, he grabbed the edge of the pool and tried to haul himself out only to have a pair of strong arms wrap around him like a vice and pull him back in.

"Not so fast, _snookums_. Don't you want to enjoy the water with me?"

Yami knew resistance was futile. Kaiba had his arms pinned tightly down, and in another moment the taller man spun him around and pressed his back against the pool wall. That predatory gaze was back, but this time the Egyptian couldn't say he enjoyed it.

"You ruined my hair," he whimpered, knowing he probably looked like a drowned rat.

"It's impossible to ruin hair that crazy. Besides, I think it looks sexy."

"Don't even try to flatter me, sweetheart," Yami huffed indignantly. "If this suit is ruined, I'll never forgive you."

"This coat is definitely ruined, and you don't hear me bitching about it." Kaiba leaned down and blew a hot line up Yami's neck. "Why don't you relax and enjoy the water?"

Yami wanted to be mad, but between the perfectly warm water, Kaiba's strong arms wrapped around him, and the breath tickling his neck, he soon felt his irritation ebbing away.

"I suppose I deserved that," he murmured as Kaiba began kissing his neck. He tilted his head to the side to give the brunet better access, which he hungrily took advantage of.

"You did," Kaiba said silkily between kisses, "but you also deserve this." He ground their hips together, and Yami hissed with pleasure. "I think we can both agree we've been waiting to do this all night."

"Kaiba…" Yami sighed, arching his back so more of their bodies could touch, "you said yourself we shouldn't. Anyone could come along, and-"

"And they'll get the show of a lifetime." The brunet was already unbuttoning Yami's jacket, and he had it off faster than the smaller teen's lust-clouded brain could process. All the while, those damn hips were rubbing against him in rough, sexy circles, making heat pool low in his belly.

"Kaiba, seriously," Yami gasped, "I'm not going to have the mental faculties to say no for much longer, and we need to stop. For once, I'm letting good sense get the better of how much I want you."

"Why?"

Yami's head snapped up at the surprisingly serious tone. Kaiba was staring intently at him, as if waiting for a logical answer to a logical question.

The smaller man scoured his brain, but beneath that piercing sapphire gaze, his thoughts simply evaporated.

"Why, Yami?" Kaiba said huskily, moving closer so his warm breath tickled his lover's lips, "You've been denying it all night… the hunger… I know you're hurting as badly as I am." Kaiba shoved a hand between their bodies, and Yami gasped when warm, strong fingers cupped his growing erection through his pants. He shuddered and thrust against the touch, desperate for more friction. He didn't have to look to know Kaiba was smirking.

"Face it, Yami. You need this. You need _me._ No one has ever been able to give you what you want like I do."

"Kaiba… I…" Yami tried to talk, but Kaiba's fingers starting moving, stroking him steadily with touches that varied from frustratingly light to unbearably rough. A ragged moan tore out of Yami's throat, and he struggled just to breathe.

Kaiba's eyes never lost their intensity. "Your pride is as legendary as mine, yet I can make you beg with a single touch. I know for a fact I'm the only person you would let see you this way: flushed and trembling. My name is the only one you'll willingly scream with abandon. There's no one else you would trust with the sound of your voice when you're climaxing."

Kaiba's words were nothing more than a low, dark rumble, and Yami was completely caught in the spell. He felt heat in every inch of his body, and it was more ready to drown him than the water all around them.

"Just face it, Yami." Kaiba went in for the kill. "You're mine."

The words had a finality to them that Yami's lust-drenched brain could only barely comprehend.

"What if it never stops?" the Egyptian whispered. "What if we can never get enough of each other? What if the hunger never goes away?"

Kaiba's eyes were a mixture of the deepest part of the ocean and shattered glass. "I can think of worse fates."

Yami wrapped a leg around Kaiba's waist, allowing the last few inches of distance between them to disappear entirely. They sunk into the space, hips pressed to hips, like jigsaw puzzle pieces. The two men shuddered collectively, and a feeling of completeness washed over them.

"Kaiba," Yami moaned, rolling his hips against the other man's. "I want you so badly, it hurts."

The brunet growled and bit down on Yami's exposed shoulder, making him hiss and throw his head back. He raked his fingers down Kaiba's back, not even attempting to be gentle. He wanted the scratches to stay there for days, to remind his lover of this moment every time they ached.

Kaiba released Yami's shoulder and kissed the bruised skin. "You are destroying me, Yami." He lifted his head and brushed their lips lightly together. His eyes smoldered with something raw and wild. "And God help me, I want you to."

Whatever fate this was, it was theirs, and they were finally ready to accept it.

Unfortunately, fate was not feeling particularly kind at the moment.

From just beyond their enclosure came the absolute last sound either of them wanted to hear.

"Hey, guys, I think I found them!" It was Tea's voice.

Yami and Kaiba both froze.

Footsteps. Many pairs of footsteps.

Shit.

They looked at each other, looked at themselves, and then two pairs of jewel-tone eyes went wide with indescribable horror.

Yami was shirtless, and they were both half hard. Even a complete moron (Joey) could look at their flushed cheeks and tousled hair and tell what was going on. They had just enough time to turn their heads towards the opening in the rocks before it was too late.

"There you guys are!" Tea slipped through the rocks first. She was watching her dress to make sure nothing caught, so it took her a moment to really look at them. When she finally did, her mouth simply dropped open.

The boys pushed in next, all oblivious to Tea's shocked state until they experienced it for themselves.

For a long moment, there was only silence. Five sets of eyes pierced into an image that would undoubtedly never leave their memories: Yami and Kaiba glistening in the moonlight, the taller man pinning the other against a wall, and their beautiful faces simply brimming with guilt.

The silence finally broke.

Gabe's pealing laughter echoed against the walls.

"Busted."

…

…


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note:** Alrighty, guys, this is the **final chapter, **not counting the epilogue (which will feature Kaiba on bottom). I encourage you all to review me while you can and reminisce about the good times we had with this fic. I also encourage you to experiment and try reading the epilogue, even if you don't want Kaiba to bottom. You all know me well enough by now to know he's not going to become a sniveling, submissive uke under my watchful eye, so please please please give it a shot and let me know what you think. (I'm only pushing the issue because I'm actually really excited about it. I love things that challenge me to write outside of my comfort zone.)

I've had a really great time writing this fic. I can honestly say I put more effort into it than I have any college paper I've ever written XD. I'm very proud of the work I've done here, and I thank each and every one of you for encouraging me to push myself to the limits of my writing ability. It's thanks to you that I've accomplished so much, and I'm as grateful as I am proud. I hope you all loved it and will miss reading it as much as I'll miss writing it. I only wish I'd written for this fandom when it was in full swing instead of on its way into obscurity.

By the way, the video game reference in the last chapter was Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. Kudos to those of you who guessed correctly and received the mystery prize. ;)

Gah! I'm going to miss this fic so much! I almost don't want to write the end... but alas, I could never leave you all in suspense. Without further adieu, I give you the end of Ne'er-do-Well.

…

…

Yami had never before heard silence quite so loud.

Yugi, Joey, Tristan, and Tea were all standing in a loose group, their arms stiff at their sides and their eyes averted to the ground. Gabe was leaning casually in a doorway, a feline grin plastered on his face. Every now and then a soft chuckle would escape his lips, as if he were continuously reliving a fond memory. Yami had a sneaking suspicion he knew what that memory was.

The gala had ended, not with a bang but with a fizzle. Between getting Roland to bring them dry clothes and fending off their startled friends, Yami and Kaiba had missed their opportunity to demonstrate the new Duel Disk technology. The party goers probably hadn't noticed the lapse, so engrossed were they in dancing and champagne. By the time the gang of teens had returned to the grand ballroom, almost everyone but the staff had left for the night.

Not a word was spoken as they all piled back into Kaiba's limo to go home. The tension was so thick, Yami could feel it in his lungs when he inhaled. Everyone except for Gabe and Kaiba - the shameless ones - kept their eyes glued to their feet. No one dared to look up until the limo pulled up in front of Kaiba's mansion.

Yami glanced curiously at his lover and whispered, "What are we doing here?"

The brunet rolled his eyes. "I assume we have to have some kind of sentimental chitchat about this incident, or else I'm fairly certain your friends will explode. If we're going to do this, we're going to do it where I can disappear and go to bed any time I like, or order security to throw you all out."

"Lucky bastard."

The seven teens piled out of the limo and continued into Kaiba's home. If anyone else was surprised by their destination, they either didn't care enough to ask or were too afraid to break the silence. Kaiba led the way to a large sitting room - the same one that Yami had waited for him in earlier that night - and flopped unceremoniously into a leather winged armchair. His beautiful face was a perfect picture of boredom and begrudging resignation. Gabe took his position in the doorway, and everyone else… just stood there.

Yami shoved his hands into the pockets of the spare black suit Roland had brought for him and tried to think of something to say. They needed to get this out of the way soon, or Kaiba was liable to kick them all out and go to sleep. Hard as he tried, he couldn't think of a single graceful way to say, _So… I've been having amazing, wild sex with my arch rival, and now you all know it. Glad we got that out in the open. I, for one, feel better._

He'd always known the gala would be a disaster, but this went far beyond his most pessimistic reckoning.

"So, Yami…"

The pharaoh started at the sound of a voice after such a long silence.

The voice belonged to Yugi, who was fidgeting like a small, twitchy bunny. He opened his mouth and then closed it again. Then he opened it again. Then it hung open for a moment while he desperately tried to think of an end for his sentence.

Yami's lips twitched up into a ghost of a smile. If nothing else, he appreciated the effort.

Tea's face turned a little red, and Yami realized now that the silence was broken, the girl had finally reached the end of her patience.

She took a deep breath and then released a flood of hurried words that were only barely intelligible, "'How-long-have-you-and-Kaiba-been-together-and-why-didn't-you-tell-us?"

As soon as the last word was out, the redness left her face, and she took a deep, relaxing breath. Yami could only guess how long she'd been struggling to hold in that question. It was almost miraculous that she hadn't exploded like Kaiba suggested.

Everyone else, however, looked like they'd just realized they'd left the house without any pants on. Joey, Tristan, and Yugi all dropped their eyes to the floor in embarrassment, shifting their weight uncomfortably almost in tandem.

_They spend way too much time together,_ Yami thought as he watched their synchronized movements.

"It's… kind of a long story." The pharaoh furrowed his brow tried to think back. He wasn't even sure he knew how to answer that question. Kaiba had kissed him for the first time way back in Battle City, but they hadn't been officially dating until only a few hours ago. If they measured their relationship in sex, however…

"Wait," Joey stammered, his face turning bright red as he finally dared to look up, "you guys are really…? I mean… you're… _together? _Like, a _couple_?"

Kaiba chuckled from his chair. "If only you could form sentences with such eloquence all the time."

Joey's face turned an indescribable shade of neon pink. "Shut the hell up, rich boy! This doesn't concern you!" He paused. "Well, I mean… it does… but that's not the point!"

"Calm down, babe. You'll hurt yourself." Gabe finally left his doorway lounge and sauntered over to Joey's side. He threw an arm casually around the blond. "These two have been doing their little denial dance for quite some time now. Tonight was the first time I've managed to get both of them to admit they have it bad for each other."

Yami opened his mouth to argue but stopped short. "Wait… what do you mean get us 'both' to admit it? You talked to Kaiba?" He shot a look towards his lover, but the brunet pointedly ignored it.

Gabe grinned. "I caught him alone earlier in the night when I left to get us champagne. I had to make sure he wasn't just toying with you, or I'd have to break his lovely face."

Yami blinked. "Wow, Gabe, I had no idea you were so cunning. It's almost creepy."

The redhead winked cheekily. "Just call me cupid."

Tristan turned to Yugi, whose mouth was still hanging comically open. "Did you know about this?"

The smallest teen shook his head as if to clear it and nodded. "I had my suspicions, and Yami and I vaguely talked about it a few times. However, I had no idea they were so… intimate." His cheeks flushed with a beautiful color that made Yami want to hug him.

Tristan ran a hand through his hair. "Well, I guess that makes me feel better. If even Yugi wasn't completely aware of it, maybe the rest of us aren't as dense as we think."

"No, you're all pretty dense," Kaiba commented without an ounce of inflection. "Fortunately for you, I value my privacy, so your deficient mental faculties aren't entirely to blame."

Joey growled, but Gabe used the arm around his shoulders to both restrain and soothe him. Yami made a mental note to thank the redhead later by buying him all the alcohol he could consume without having to be hospitalized.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you guys sooner," Yami said quietly, shifting from one foot to the other. "I didn't really know what to say or how to explain. It all just sort of… happened."

"It's kind of _weird_, Yami," Joey said with a grimace. "I mean, you just got a body of your own a few months ago. Beyond that why would you pick _Kaiba_ of all people_?_ He's been nothing but a jerk to us for years now!"

Yami shrugged. "I'd explain it if I could, but chemistry is a complicated thing.

Tristan rubbed his face. "I don't really want to think about you two having chemistry. I've seen enough of your chemistry for myself for one night."

Tea elbowed him in the ribs. "What this genius is trying to say is thinking of you guys as a couple will take some getting used to. You spent so much time fighting with each other… it's hard to imagine that you could ever be anything but enemies. I hope you know we support your decision, of course."

Joey mumbled something under his breath, and Gabe elbowed him twice as hard as Tea had elbowed Tristan.

"Ouch!" The blond exclaimed, rubbing his side. The impish male gave him a pointed glare, and Joey sighed. "Yami, you know you're still my buddy. I have my issues with the rich boy, but if he makes you happy, I'm not going to stand in your way." He gritted his teeth. "I won't pretend to like him, though, unless he drops that snobby attitude."

Yami gave the blond a fond smile. "Thanks, Joey. I understand if you guys need some time. I wasn't expecting you to accept it immediately."

Kaiba stood up from his chair and stretched. "I think you've all had enough of dissecting my personal life for one night." He gestured towards the door. "Now if you'd be so kind, you are all cordially invited to get the fuck out."

Yami's friends all simultaneously shot him looks that clearly said, "Seriously, you're _dating_ this asshole?"

The Egyptian snorted but didn't respond. One by one, his friends filed out of the room, looking tired and uneasy but not angry. As soon as a maid appeared to escort them to the door, Kaiba flopped back into his armchair and began rubbing his temples. Yami paused for a moment, long enough to give his friends time to reach the front door, and then he sauntered over.

Kaiba didn't outwardly acknowledge his presence, but he shifted his legs enough to tell Yami what he wanted. The smaller teen straddled his lover's lap without hesitation, placing his hands on the armrests for balance.

The CEO finally opened his eyes, and they locked heatedly with sultry purple. "I hope you don't think you're getting any after all the commotion you've caused."

"Funny," Yami purred, leaning closer, "I remember you being equal part in everything that went on tonight." He kissed him sensually, then pulled back. "Before we get too caught up in this, we should talk." Purple eyes studied blue with care, looking for the tells he knew so well.

Kaiba sighed. "Haven't we done enough talking for one night?"

"I'm serious, sweetheart. It seems the nature of our relationship has changed, and I was one of the last people to find out about it."

"Do you want an apology?" The brunet's voice was tense, and his eyes shifted from calming blue to sharp sapphire. "If it makes you feel better, I'm just as shocked as you. This is certainly not where I thought we'd end up when I first decided to drag you out of that bar."

The pharaoh cocked his head to the side. "I'm curious about something, sweetheart. That night when you came and found me... you told me it was because you didn't want me to ruin your reputation by ruining mine. Is that the real reason, or was there something else?"

Kaiba suddenly grew very still, and for a moment Yami wondered if he'd somehow made him angry. Then, the brunet looked towards the ceiling, as if he were searching for words that lay just on the edge of his peripheral vision.

After a long moment, the CEO's smoldering blue eyes finally settled on the Egyptian man again, and Yami thought he saw something new in their depths, some kind of resolve that had never been there before.

"I came and found you because I knew I couldn't lie anymore."

"What do you mean."

Kaiba sighed. "You don't think that I kissed you during Battle City out of nowhere, do you?"

The pharaoh shrugged. "I never really thought about it before."

"Well, I didn't. I thought about you every day. From the moment of our very first duel, all I could do was obsess about everything from your strategies to the look in your eyes when you're about to deal the killing blow. I even dreamed about you. It was unlike anything I'd ever experienced before, and it infuriated me. I've always put my work before anything else, but then you came along and wormed your way into my every waking thought."

Yami remained silent, knowing that this must have been almost tortuous for his lover to admit. His pride was no small character flaw: it was an insurmountable facet of his personality.

Kaiba studied him for another moment and then continued. "When I kissed you on the blimp, I thought I'd lost my mind, that my obsession with defeating you was making me think I felt things that I couldn't possibly feel. Then you risked your life to save mine in Noah's World, and I knew it wasn't something I could deny forever." His eyes lost some of their sharpness. "Though that certainly didn't stop me from acting like an asshole at every available opportunity. I apologize for the things I said and did to you in the beginning."

Yami chuckled. "Yeah, you were a serious dick."

Kaiba shot him a venomous glare. "This is probably the only genuine apology you'll ever get from me, and you're going to make a joke of it? Remind me never to bother with you again."

The spiky-haired teen grinned. "Oh, lighten up, sweetheart. We both know you can't resist my acerbic charm."

"Charm is a very lenient way of putting it." He studied Yami's face as if it were a complicated algorithm that needed solving. "Why were you so forgiving?"

"Hmm?"

"In the beginning, after I shunned you and said such terrible things to you. Why didn't you tell me to fuck off like you had every right to?"

Yami tried to think of a clever way to phrase his response, but in the end he went with the simple truth. "Because it was you."

The CEO raised a fine eyebrow.

Yami chuckled. "You're not the elusive, aloof mystery that you think you are. You're the most stubbornly skeptical person I know. That and you really are an asshole." Kaiba started to growl in protest, but Yami held up a hand. "It's not an insult: it's just the truth. You're rough around the edges, plain and simple, and if I couldn't handle that aspect of your personality, there's no way we could be together. I never expected you to suddenly become sweet and gentle, because that's just not who you are. I also never expected you to readily accept the fact that I'm an Egyptian pharaoh who suddenly has a body."

"And I still don't really accept that. You could just be crazy."

"In which case, you're dating a crazy person. Which of us is worse?"

The word "dating" hung in the air between them. It was the first time they'd spoken it face to face, and as much as it sounded heavy, it left them both feeling lighter.

Kaiba reached up and brushed a thumb along Yami's cheek. "You didn't really answer my question."

"I don't really have an answer." The smaller teen turned his head and kissed Kaiba's hand. "I wanted you from the start, but it took some time for that feeling to grow. In the end, even though so much went wrong, I feel like it all worked out precisely how it was supposed to."

Kaiba scoffed. "You've been spending too much time with Gabe." His words were harsh, but his face looked softer, less troubled. Yami didn't need him to say it to know they'd reached a long-awaited understanding. He finally understood his place in a world that he never should have known: standing side-by-side - proudly - with the man that had pushed him into greatness.

A sly smile crept over Yami's face. "So, sweetheart… while we're in this position anyways…"

The brunet glanced down as if their talk had made him forget that Yami was straddling him. When he looked back up, his sexy smirk was perfectly in place. "Can't you wait until we get upstairs?" As he spoke, his voice gradually lowered into a sultry rumble.

The Egyptian licked his lips, loving the way his lover's eyes followed the motion. "From the sound of things, I doubt either of us could wait that long."

He rolled his hips smoothly forward in just the right way. Kaiba bit his lip to hold back a hiss of pleasure, but nothing could hide the desire that was beginning to spark in his eyes. It was as electric and undeniable as always, and it hung in the air between their bodies like so many tiny magnets trying to pull them together again.

The brunet slid his hands up Yami's thighs, and the smaller man shuddered. Those delectable hands then found their way under Yami's jacket and dress shirt and along the smooth plane of his abdomen. Every finger left a trail of fire in its wake, and it wasn't long before Yami was moving his hips involuntarily, grinding against the warm body beneath him. He leaned down and pressed his forehead to Kaiba's shoulder, his breath coming in shallow pants.

"It's truly dazzling," the brunet murmured, turning his head so his breath tickled Yami's ear, "how responsive you are. Just one touch…" he dipped one of his hands down to glide across the bulge that had appeared between the pharaoh's legs, "and you're practically breathless."

"Less talk," Yami moaned, "more touching."

The CEO's hands moved again, this time settling on Yami's hips. He gripped them and used the leverage to pull his lover roughly down, and both men swooned from the sudden increase in friction. They weren't going to be able to hold off for much longer. Both were dimly aware of the team of staff that could come waltzing into the room at any moment but neither really cared. The lust had taken over now - blinded their minds to trivial things like "consequences" - and it could not be so easily tamed.

Yami suddenly stood up, and Kaiba's lap felt empty without him there. As the brunet watched hungrily, the smaller man reached down and undid the buckle on his belt, letting it hang loosely on his hips. Next came the button on his pants, which he flicked open almost casually. Kaiba licked his lips and resisted the urge to demand he speed up the process. That would undoubtedly make Yami drag it out more just to tease him. Instead, he settled for a more devious tactic: he let one of his hands slide slowly down between his legs, and then he absently stroked the quickly-hardening length that was plainly visible beneath the fabric.

Yami got the message loud and clear.

His eyes darkened into luscious velvet spheres as they locked onto the delicious sight that was Kaiba touching himself. He was barely cognizant of ripping his pants and jacket off, but he was _very_ aware of the brunet stripping his own pants and boxers off and beckoning for him to climb back into his lap. The smaller teen eagerly obeyed, and the two of them sighed together with mutual pleasure when bare flesh touched bare flesh. As much as they wanted to linger in this most sensuous moment, their hunger for each other was clawing at their chests, demanding that they sate it.

Kaiba wet two of his fingers - a simple action that made Yami shiver with anticipation - and then let his hand trail down the arch of his lover's spine, past his round, firm ass, and finally to the puckered entrance he was looking for. Sliding into that warm body was a sensation he knew he'd never fully grow tired of. He moved his fingers slowly at first, reveling in the look of pleasured agony that swept over Yami's face. The pharaoh inhaled sharply and moved his hips in time with the invasion, ravenously seeking more contact. It felt so good to have any part of Kaiba inside him, but it wasn't the joining he really wanted.

"Kaiba," he gasped, his voice breathy and hungry, "please… I want you so bad."

The sound of Yami's need made a rush of hot blood flood between the brunet's legs. He removed his fingers and positioned himself at Yami's entrance, letting the head of his erection just barely press against it. The smaller teen tried to force his hips down, so desperate was he to be filled, but Kaiba held his hips still.

"What's my name, Yami," he growled, his voice brimming with lust and possession. "Who is it that's about to fuck you senseless?"

Yami shuddered at the wild and dark look in his lover's eyes. He leaned forward until their lips were a hair's width apart, and then he whispered, "Seto."

Kaiba thrust his hips up lightly, sinking into his lover's body but only by an inch. Yami cried out and once again tried to force himself down, but the brunet wasn't having it.

"Say it louder." The demand in his voice made the hair on the back of Yami's neck stand up. He swore the very air around them was crackling.

"Seto," he moaned, drawing each syllable out into something luxurious. The brunet immediately awarded him by thrusting up, but still not deep enough.

"Ahhhh!" Yami moaned. "Please, Seto! Please!"

Kaiba growled and thrust in completely, sinking himself in as far as he could go. Both men shuddered and grit their teeth as that overwhelming feeling of completeness rushed through them once again. The brunet pulled his hips back in order to sink them in again, but Yami beat him to the punch. The pharaoh rolled his hips roughly forward and then gyrated them in a leisurely circle. He gasped at the variety of sensations and clenched the armrests of the chair. As he moved, he could feel his lover's hungry gaze on him: devouring everything from the tortured-pleasured look on his face to the delicious sight of their bodies moving perfectly together.

Impatience finally won out, and Yami began to move faster, plucking his hips back and forth with enthusiasm. The moans of the two men mingled together in the air. It was punctuated by the sound of the chair's legs scraping against the floor. Their movements were so filled with frenzied passion, it was a wonder the furniture didn't collapse beneath them.

Kaiba was loving the view: Yami on top of him, his legs spread wide, his hips moving furiously to impale himself again and again, his eyes clenched shut, and beads of sweat rolling down his skin. He allowed himself to indulge in this long enough to commit it to memory, and then his need for more took over. Without a word, he grabbed Yami's thighs and stood up, hauling the smaller man along with him.

The Egyptian gasped and tried to form words, but his brain was too hazy for speech. He could only throw his arms around his lover's neck for balance and wait to see where they were going. The next thing he knew, he was being dumped onto a nearby couch and Kaiba was climbing on after him. Yami started to pull the larger man on top of him, but the brunet had other ideas. He pushed Yami over until he was on his knees on the cushions, his elbows resting on the back of the couch. The CEO climbed behind him, his flat stomach pressing against Yami's back. The smaller man got the idea a moment later and arched his back, throwing his lover a sexy smirk over his shoulder.

Kaiba reached down and spread Yami's legs further apart, and the other man shivered from just that simple touch. In another second, the brunet was sliding into him again, and sonorous moans filled the air.

"Ahhh, Seto, yes!" Yami moaned as the other man set a rough rhythm. He clenched the back of the couch with both hands and threw his head back, moaning with abandon. Kaiba's lips were pressed to his ear, whispering things that almost made him orgasm on the spot. The tightening between his legs doubled when the brunet reached down and began to stroke his neglected erection in time with his thrusts, doubling the pleasure Yami felt.

"Yami," Seto groaned, his wild breathing kissing his neck, "you make me so hot. Say it again."

"Seto!" The pharaoh was barely able to form words at this point. Kaiba pounded into him harder and harder every time he said his name, and he was almost afraid of the intense orgasm that was about to wash through him. He could feel it pulsing low in his belly, just waiting to burst. "Seto, fuck me harder! I'm so close, Seto!"

Yami thought for certain the back of the couch was going to break. He was dimly aware of the sound of cracking wood, but miraculously nothing collapsed beneath them. A sharp jolt rocked through his body when Kaiba shifted his hips and began attacking that sweet spot inside him with earnest. Each thrust felt like a bolt of lightning that began in his belly and swept out through his limbs into every finger and toe. From the ragged sound of his lover's moaning, he knew Kaiba was feeling pleasure every bit as extreme as his own.

With the final ounce of sanity he had left, Yami leaned his head back until it lay on Kaiba's shoulder. The brunet immediately turned his head and kissed his cheek, though the furious thrusting never stopped. It engulfed them both until they had only enough awareness left to keep their bodies moving together.

As their mutual orgasms swept over them like so many pounding waves, they each cried out with a single word: the name of their lover. Their muscles locked up into the position of their passion: hips pressed roughly together, backs arched in different directions, necks craned towards each other, and every ounce of energy directed at each other.

When the final shockwaves finally ebbed away, they collapsed onto the couch in a tangle of sweaty limbs, unable to tell where their bodies began and ended. They lay together in companionable silence for a long moment afterwards, watching candlelight chase shadows across the ceiling.

Yami's eyes began to grow heavy, but he was too exhausted for sleep. He fell into a contented, warm haze that was like dreaming but not. He might have laid there for hours or mere minutes for all he knew. Finally, a voice snapped him out of it.

"Yami."

The pharaoh perked up and turned his head towards his lover. Kaiba was watching him with a guarded expression, as if he were looking at a tiger that had broken free from its cage. Yami leaned up and kissed him gently, trying to soothe whatever was causing that look.

"Hm?"

"Yami… I…" Kaiba struggled for words. "There's something I want to tell you."

The Egyptian raised an eyebrow. "Go on."

"I'm not… not very good at this. But I…" He trailed off, looking frustrated. It must have been hard enough for the prideful man just to admit he was having trouble.

The Egyptian studied his lover's beautiful face, reading the curve of his lips, the tension in his jaw, and the glimmer in his eyes that suggested a myriad of emotions: hope, desire, excitement… and a twinge of fear. It was amazing to him that he had come to understand the other man so well that he could read these normally indecipherable emotions at a glance. Most people would think his face was blank. Most would see only the cool, disinterested businessman that appeared to feel nothing. Yami saw so much more and then some.

But what was causing these emotions? Yami's brilliant mind raced to find an answer…

And there it was.

Hanging in the air between them were three little words.

Three incredibly simple, yet overwhelming words that meant everything in the world to the right ears.

Yami couldn't hear them, but he could feel them. He could feel that Kaiba meant it with everything he had and that no amount of cliché romance novels or real-life experience had prepared him for this feeling.

Those three little words were meant to express a whirlwind of emotions and memories that the greatest writers would struggle to pen. It was almost vulgar to use them to describe what had grown between these two unconventional lovers.

Yami let the brunet struggle for another second before he quieted him with a kiss. When he pulled back, he was smiling, and those three little words were shining in his eyes.

"I know, Seto," Yami said, still smiling. "You too."

…

...


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note:** Epilogue time! Thanks for the great responses to my final chapter. I love you guys and miss you so much already. I want to hear from you all before it's too late! Please give me your final thoughts on this fic, any comments, criticisms, or just send me some fond memories. ;)

**Warning:** Kaiba is on bottom in this chapter. It's super hot, though, so I really, really, _really_ want you all to give it a try. ;)

…

…

Feline green eyes sparkled with mischievous delight. "I'd like to propose a toast!"

The group of friends groaned collectively.

"Gabe, you've already proposed three toasts," Tea grumbled. "This is starting to get a little gratuitous ."

"He's jus' tryin' ta get me drunk," Joey slurred as he threw a wobbly arm around Gabe's shoulders, his face red and glistening with sweat.

"And I'm succeeding!" The redhead laughed, pecking his blond lover on the cheek. "But I'm serious this time. It'd be disgraceful not to toast the other happy couple in our midst. They're the whole reason we're here, after all."

Yugi, Joey, Tristan, Tea, Gabe, Yami, and Kaiba all raised their glasses as Gabe spoke over the dull roar of the bar, "To Yami and Kaiba. May you enjoy many more wonderful anniversaries in the future."

Tristan took a sip of his drink before shooting Yami a grin. "Man, I can't believe you guys have been together for a year already!"

The pharaoh smiled, his violet eyes sparkling in the dim light like jewels. "Time has indeed flown."

Gabe winked. "Seems like only yesterday we were awkwardly busting in on you getting your freak on."

Yami winked cheekily back. "I'm sure the image is forever burned into your retinas."

The Egyptian leaned back into warm, hard flesh. Kaiba was standing behind him with one long arm draped loosely around his waist. The sexy brunet had shocked him earlier that day by offering to let him pick how they would celebrate this milestone. He supposed Kaiba had expected him to pick a restaurant, but he hadn't seemed upset when Yami suggested they gather his friends and go to a bar together. It seemed appropriate to honor their first full year of dating by returning to the place where their romance had begun.

The place hadn't changed at all: the same dim light, weathered appearance, and cacophony of voices mixed with clinking glasses. The seven friends gathered near the bar, however, had changed greatly in the past year. Yugi had left for college in the fall, returning periodically for holidays, surprise visits, and special occasions (like tonight). Tea had enrolled in a dance school, Tristan and Joey had both settled into decent jobs, and Gabe was still living it up at every bar and club he could find.

All in all, life was moving quietly forward in a way that made the group of friends feel like their old adventures might have just been one long, convoluted dream. There was no more magic, no more duels to the death, and no more heroic quests to save the world from evil. There was just normal life with all its mundane mishaps and miracles. Even their friendship - though it was as strong as ever - was slowly being replaced by things like jobs, planning for the future, and mortgages. It was hard to be a normal teenager after having a taste of something so fantastic, only to lose it in the end.

For Yami, however, the change was welcome. He'd officially moved in with his millionaire boyfriend shortly after their relationship became public. The media had had a field day with the idea of the two heated rivals carrying on a secret romance behind the scenes, but the frenzy had quieted down again in due time. Mokuba had surprised them both by accepting their relationship as if he'd known about it all along. Considering how often he proved that he knew his big brother better than he knew himself, Kaiba sometimes wondered if he'd had it figured out from the start.

The two men continued to be the most widely-recognized names in duel monsters, and duels between them were fought with as much ferocity as always, if not more. More importantly, their rivalry-turned-romance had evolved into a companionship unlike anything they'd ever expected. They were yet to have a catastrophic fight - as they regularly predicted they would - though they bickered heatedly and often about all manner of topics. It was mostly playful arguing, however, between passionate competitors who loved to win but loved each other even more. All in all, it seemed they'd finally cleared the last of the hurdles in their way and could look forward to a smooth future together.

Yami glanced back at his lover and smiled, resisting the urge to kiss the delectable lips that were just a few inches from him. They'd made a concerted effort not to be too affectionate in public after their friends had caught them in the pool together, though they slipped often.

Kaiba gave him a ghost of a smile in return that few people would have caught. The brunet looked stunning, even in the bar's dim light: his skin was as flawless as ever, each thick brown lock was in place, and his sharp sapphire eyes were just as dazzling to Yami as the first time he looked into them. His marble-like body was encased in a stunning black Versace suit, the very sight of which turned Yami on. The Egyptian was wearing the same suit he'd worn the night of the gala, one he routinely refused to replace no matter how much Kaiba tried to bribe him with new designer labels. Living with the brunet had not made him succumb to Kaiba's lavish style, and his suit - as Kaiba reluctantly admitted - made him look just as sexy and dark as always.

Yami spent a long minute studying his lover's beautiful face. He looked gorgeous, but something was just a little off.

"Babe," Yami purred, half-turning so he could see the other man better, "are you having a good time?"

Kaiba nodded, appearing to be, for all intents and purposes, absorbed in some story that Joey was slurring while Yugi and Tea snickered.

That right there tipped Yami off more than anything. Kaiba would never willingly listen to Joey.

"Are you feeling alright?" The Egyptian turned a little more, but Kaiba stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm fine." The ghost of a smile deepened into something uncharacteristically soft, and Yami felt himself melt a little at the sight. "Just enjoy your time with your friends. I'm looking forward to getting you all to myself soon so we can really celebrate."

Yami gave his lover a seductive smile but wasn't fooled for a second. Kaiba was trying to distract him, and now that he'd turned around, he could easily see that his face was flushed, something that very, _very_ rarely happened to the millionaire.

_Is Kaiba hiding something from me?_ Yami frowned for a split second but decided to take his lover's advice. If he was determined to hide it, nothing in the world would get the stubborn man to admit it, so Yami might as well enjoy the rest of the party.

The night swept on, much more quickly than the group of friends would have liked. There were stories, reminiscing about the good 'ol days, drinks, laughter, and even an impromptu bar-top dance featuring Gabe and a red-faced Joey who looked like he was literally going to die of embarrassment.

When the night finally wound down and everyone said their goodbyes, they all left feeling like even if they never had another grand adventure, they would always have each other.

Yami and Kaiba hung back near the front door as they watched everyone walk to their respective cars or get into cabs.

The Egyptian turned to his lover and whispered impishly, "That wasn't so bad, now was it?"

"Surprisingly, I enjoyed myself." Kaiba gave him one of his famous sexy smirks. "Miracles really do happen."

Yami started to grin but he stopped when he got a good look at the other man's face. "Kaiba… are you blushing?"

The brunet's smirk changed into a venomous glare so quickly Yami blinked and missed it. "What the fuck are you talking about? I don't blush."

The Egyptian waved off the attitude and stepped closer, staring intently at Kaiba's cheeks. "But… you're definitely looking very… pink. I noticed it earlier in the bar, too. Now that we're in good light it's impossible to miss."

"You're delusional." Kaiba pushed past his lover and began walking towards the sleek royal blue sports car they'd taken to get there. Yami followed, still mulling over possible explanations for his boyfriend's apparent condition. He instinctively walked over to the passenger side of the car, since Kaiba never allowed him to so much as sit in the driver's seat of one of his cars… unless he was straddling Kaiba's lap…

Yami saw something silver flash in the corner of his eye and instinctively moved his hand to catch it. A set of car keys jangled in his hand, and he blinked at them owlishly. His violet eyes drifted slowly over to Kaiba, a look of complete disbelief shining in their depths.

"You drive." The brunet ordered casually. He walked slowly over to Yami's side of the car, smirking all the while. "I think it's about time you learned why I love flashy cars so much." He leaned down until his lips were a hair's breadth away from Yami's. "You have to feel the power for yourself to really understand."

Yami wasn't certain which feeling was more powerful: eagerness for an opportunity to finally play with Kaiba's toys or the desire to drag the brunet into the backseat right then and there.

"You're lucky I've been dying to drive one of these for months," Yami breathed huskily, his dark eyes growing even darker with growing desire. "For once, I'm going to be a good boy and take you safely home before I have my way with you."

Kaiba's smirk deepened into something primal and raw. "Much as I fear for the safety of my car, I really hope you speed."

The two men jumped into the car, and Yami immediately had to pull the driver's seat forward to accommodate for how much shorter he was than Kaiba. The brunet chuckled but knew better than to say anything about it. The Egyptian put the key into the ignition, turned it, and sighed with delight when the beautiful engine purred in an entirely seductive manner.

Just as he put the car into drive, he felt warm breath on his neck. He shivered and tried to focus on the road as he pulled out into traffic in the direction of the mansion.

"Remember the first time we drove away from this bar together," Kaiba whispered, making sure his breath tickled Yami's ear.

"I do," the Egyptian murmured, shivering a little. "I was teasing you in a manner pretty similar to what you're doi-ah!" He gasped as Kaiba suddenly began to nibble on his neck, finding the most sensitive flesh with practiced ease. It took everything Yami had to resist the urge to close his eyes and let his head fall back.

A light turned red in front of them, and Yami slammed on the brakes. Fortunately, the expensive car was built for not only speed but shock reduction, so the passengers barely felt it as it skidded to a halt. As soon as they were stopped, the two men were all over each other: touching, tasting, clawing, and filling the air with the sounds of growls and moans. It wasn't until Yami felt a large, hot hand slide down his stomach towards something more interesting that he began to grow suspicious…

Before Kaiba could react, Yami grabbed a handful of luscious brown locks and yanked. The CEO let out a snarl of pain but didn't immediately fight back like he normally would. Yami spent a long moment studying the other man's creamy, bared throat and flushed cheeks before something finally clicked in his head.

"Kaiba…" he whispered cautiously, his eyes widening with surprise, "did you…? That is to say, are you…?"

"What?" The brunet sneered, trying but failing to lift his restrained head, "am I what?"

"Are you… _drunk?_" Yami could barely believe what he was asking. Never in the entire time he'd known the other man had Kaiba _ever_ been intoxicated by _anything_… except maybe bloodlust… or regular lust. He liked to be in control too much to allow himself to indulge in such a thing, or so he said.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Kaiba grumbled, but his eyes gave him away.

Yami's mouth dropped open in shock. "Oh, _holy hell_… That's why you wanted me to drive! That's why you look flushed! You're totally wasted!"

"I am _not_." The brunet gave him a furious look. "I'm simply not used to drinking very much, and it would be terrible PR for my company if I got pulled over for Driving While Intoxicated."

"So, you're admitting you're intoxicated."

"Will you shut the fuck up and drive already?"

Yami laughed and turned back to the road. The light was still red, which probably meant they'd been sitting there for so long it'd had time to cycle through all three colors again. Good thing there were no other cars on the road.

"I can't believe it," the spiky-haired man chuckled to himself. "My boyfriend… drunk for the first time on our anniversary. It's almost fitting. This time last year, you were the one hauling my drunk ass out of a bar. Oh how our positions have shifted."

The light turned green, and Yami guided the sleek car forward, laying on the gas now that he had a half-hard erection to encourage him to get home. After a moment, he realized Kaiba hadn't given him some snarky comment as he normally would have. He glanced over at the man in the passenger seat and was surprised to see he appeared to be thinking deeply.

"Something on your mind, sweetheart?"

Kaiba glanced at him but quickly looked away. "I was thinking about what you said."

"When?"

"Just then, about our positions shifting."

"For once, I didn't mean it in a perverted way."

Kaiba didn't laugh, and Yami once again began to grow suspicious.

"Babe? What is it?"

It might have just been his imagination, but Yami would have sworn Kaiba's cheeks got just the _tiniest_ bit redder. But that...? There was just _no way._

"There's something I've been wondering about for a while now, Yami."

"Oh?"

Kaiba hesitated, and Yami's growing curiosity became all the more potent.

"I've been… thinking about our sex life."

"I do that all the time, if it helps. What specifically have you been thinking about?" The brunet hesitated once more, and Yami lost his patience. "Just spit it out, sweetheart."

"What do you like so much about being on bottom?"

Yami's mouth dropped immediately open. He didn't have to glance over to know those beautiful sapphire eyes were drilling a hole into the side of his face.

"W… what?"

"I've been thinking about it for a few months now… You always seem to enjoy yourself so much, but I don't really understand why. Does it really feel that good?"

For a moment, both men were dead silent. Then… Yami burst out laughing.

"I knew I shouldn't have said anything," Kaiba growled, crossing his arms over his chest like a petulant child.

"No… No… it's not… that…" Yami struggled to speak between peals of laughter. "I just… Had no idea… You didn't… know." He finally managed to calm down some and wiped his eyes. "I didn't even know you were curious about it. I figured you would have learned about it in biology or something."

"Well, I didn't. Are you going to tell me or not?"

"I just can't believe it. Don't you watch porn?"

"Very few pornographic movies make a point of giving the viewers an anatomy lesson."

"If you think that, you don't watch enough girl-on-girl porn. All they do is teach you more about female anatomy than you'd ever care to know."

They pulled up to the main gate, and the doors parted slowly for them as if attached to invisible chains. Yami was quiet as he drove them up the long driveway and parked the car near the front door. He switched off the engine but made no move to get out of the vehicle.

Kaiba sat patiently, waiting for the other man to say something. His head was swimming a little, but he refused to admit even to himself that he was pretty trashed. Hard as it was to sit still with that much alcohol in his system, he forced himself to wait for Yami's answer.

After a long moment, the Egyptian suddenly leaned across the seat and locked lips with Kaiba. The brunet inhaled sharply as a myriad of warm sensations rushed through his body. He felt a hand rake through his hair while another fisted itself in his shirt to pull him closer. Without hesitation, he returned the affection: his tongue slipped past Yami's parted lips and his hands touched every bit of bare skin they could find.

The two men stayed like that for a long time, utterly absorbed in each other while the car windows grew steamier and steamier.

Finally, Yami pulled back and drew in a ragged breath of air. Kaiba was panting slightly, feeling even warmer and more intoxicated than before.

"Kaiba…" Yami whispered, "do you really want to know what I like so much about being on bottom?"

The brunet nodded, not trusting himself to speak while so much desire was thrumming through his body.

The Egyptian's violet eyes dipped up and down his body, and Kaiba felt as if someone had just dragged purple velvet across his skin.

"Kaiba… what if I showed you?"

The brunet paused, uncertain as to what his lover meant. "Showed me?"

Yami licked his lips, and Kaiba's eyes were drawn like magnets to the sensuality of it. "It's one thing to simply tell you… it's another to feel it for yourself. Would you let me…?" He trailed off, and his eyes were sparkling with an entirely different kind of hunger.

Kaiba's eyes widened as he finally understood. "You… you want me to bottom." His voice was perfectly flat.

The other man nodded slowly, purple eyes never leaving blue for even a second. He had no idea how Kaiba was going to react to this. He'd always seemed perfectly content to go on being the dominant partner for the rest of his life, and while Yami had no complaints, he'd always wondered if he'd ever get a chance to switch it up. Now seemed like the ideal time: Kaiba was drunk for the first time ever, weakened by desire, and was missing his usual reservations. If this was ever going to work… it had to be now.

Yami forced himself not to fidget impatiently as he watched gears turn behind his lover's eyes. Kaiba, even intoxicated, knew better than to agree without weighing the costs and benefits. He knew it would hurt at first, because he'd had to prepare Yami for that pain himself. He also knew, however, that Yami writhed and moaned and screamed his name beneath him almost every night. The other man certainly made it look like he was repeatedly dying of a sensory overload, so he was either the world's greatest actor or…

"Alright."

Yami started and leaned closer. "What was that?"

"I said alright. You can be on top tonight." Kaiba's face looked like he regretted the words as soon as he spoke them, but Yami hardly cared. The brunet was too proud to go back on his word, even if there was no legitimate deal in the works. That meant Yami would _finally_ have his chance on top!

The Egyptian played it cool, smiling and nodding slowly so as not to freak the other man out. If he acted too eager, there was still a chance Kaiba would change his mind.

"Let's go then."

The two got out of the car and made their way towards the front door. A butler was waiting to open it and take their coats, but the two barely acknowledged him. They made a beeline for Kaiba's wing - which had since become Kaiba _and_ Yami's wing - and didn't look back until they were safely in the glass room atop the spiral staircase.

As soon as the bed was in sight, Kaiba began to feel nervous. He would never dare show it on the outside, but he was beginning to seriously wonder what he had gotten himself into. Being on bottom was just… He'd never thought less of his lover for taking the submissive role, but submissive was just not in Kaiba's vocabulary. Even if it was the man he had come to treasure above any other who was here with him, it just felt fundamentally wrong to allow himself to be so vulnerable.

Before his thoughts could churn anymore, he felt a warm hand sliding down his back. Kaiba turned around and saw a beautiful sight: Yami looking up at him with soft, purple eyes, his angular face bathed in starlight.

"Kaiba, come to bed with me."

The words were so filled with desire, the brunet almost shivered. He allowed himself to be lead to the bed, his lover pulling both of their clothing off as they went. By the time he laid down and slid back, he was completely naked, and Yami only had boxers on.

The Egyptian stood in front of him, his eyes roving constantly over the naked body before him. "I don't think I'll ever get tired of looking at you, Kaiba."

The CEO didn't respond. Instead, he tried to fight back a wave of confused emotions. His mind was stuck somewhere between vertigo, nervousness, excitement, and sheer desire. The desire part was quickly winning out, however, especially when Yami's long fingers slid over his flat stomach and toyed with the band of his underwear. The seductive smile on Yami's face said everything: he wanted to put on a show. Kaiba practically started to salivate as those fingers slid under the elastic and began to tug them down, revealing inch after inch of taut, tan flesh.

"Kaiba," Yami whispered, still grinning, "I want you so bad…"

"So, hurry up and take me." The brunet could barely believe the words that were coming out of his mouth, but he somehow didn't regret them. Curiosity and lust were the clear victors here.

Yami slid his boxers the rest of the way off and climbed onto the bed, sliding his body along his lover's. The two men hissed as hot flesh smoldered against hot flesh, and they moaned together when their hips met. They both felt like they were more turned on than they had ever been, and they spent a few moments just caressing each other, enjoying the softness and heat of each other's skin.

Finally, Yami reached for the lube that always sat faithfully by their bedside table. Kaiba felt a twinge of nervousness in his stomach as his lover looked over at him, as if to assess if he were still willing to do this or not.

"You know it's going to feel strange at first, right?" Yami whispered as he unscrewed the cap.

"I know."

"It might hurt, too."

"I know. Just get on with it."

Yami nodded and squeezed a very generous amount of lube onto his index finger. He then reached down and pushed Kaiba's legs apart, trying to keep his breathing steady, even as his heart pounded wildly in his chest. God, just the thought of getting to touch Kaiba in this way made him so hard he thought he might come right then and there. It was the _ultimate_ forbidden fruit. He could only pray he wouldn't hurt the other man in his eagerness.

With one finger, he gently played with Kaiba's puckered entrance, not pushing in just yet. The brunet squirmed a little but seemed determined not to react. After he'd spread a little lube around the outer ring of muscles, Yami finally dared to push in gently. He felt Kaiba tense, but the brunet never made a sound.

The Egyptian took a deep breath, more to steady his nerves than anything else. Then, without any warning, he slid his finger the rest of the way in and locked lips with his lover. Kaiba exhaled sharply, but the air was muffled by the warm lips caressing him. He reacted automatically to the touch, parting his lips and sliding his tongue into the warm, wet velvet that was Yami's mouth. It distracted him from the strange burning sensation between his legs, at least. It wasn't bad; it was just… weird.

Then, Yami began to move his finger. It was by far the most disconcerting sensation Kaiba had ever felt. He concentrated on the tongue that was caressing his and on the warm breath on his face. As long as he could distract himself, he could ignore the weird invasion going on.

"Mmm… Kaiba," Yami moaned against his lips, "you taste good."

"Probably because I taste like alcohol," the brunet said with a snarky grin. "When are you going to put a second finger in?"

Yami grinned. "I already did."

"What?" Kaiba glanced down and sure enough, Yami's two forefingers were buried somewhere between his legs. It didn't feel good yet but it certainly wasn't as bad as he'd expected. "I won't lie, so far this isn't helping me understand why you enjoy this."

"Give it time." Purple eyes sparkled with mirth. "You'll understand soon enough." He moved his fingers around until he felt comfortable adding a third, still with no complaint from Kaiba. The brunet gritted his teeth every now and then, but he was yet to complain. Yami took that as a good sign and decided to move on to the next level.

He withdrew his fingers slowly, watching Kaiba's face all the while for signs that he wanted to stop. The brunet looked calmly back at him; in fact, there was a hint of a challenge in his gaze. He was clearly determined to believe being on bottom was terrible until Yami proved otherwise. Little did he know, the King of Games was more than willing to rise to the occasion.

Yami pushed himself onto his knees and palms and grabbed the lube once more. This time, he poured it into his palm and then used it to slick his erection. He took calming breaths as he did it, trying to keep his excitement from spilling over. Just imagining what it was going to feel like to slide into that perfect, tight heat was enough to make him swoon. He had to keep control of himself, though. If he fucked this up, Kaiba would never let him near him again.

"Hurry up already," Kaiba said, shifting his hips a little. He clearly had no idea what the sight of him spread over the bed with his legs parted was doing to his Egyptian lover. Yami complied all too eagerly, positioning his quivering erection at Kaiba's entrance. He forced himself to stop and take another breath before he said, "This is going to hurt, sweetheart. Try to bear with it until I'm all the way in. If you want me to stop, just say so."

"Just fucking do it already." Kaiba's voice quivered slightly, and he immediately blamed it on the alcohol, not the raw excitement that was beginning to pump through his veins. Skeptical as he was, he had spent enough time admiring Yami's face when he was in the throes of orgasm to really want to know what it felt like. His heart was thudding in his chest, and he prayed Yami couldn't hear it.

Luckily for him, his lover was way too busy trying to force himself to focus. He began to push in, and Kaiba immediately tensed up.

"Shhhh," Yami soothed, "you have to relax, or this will just hurt you more." He paused until he saw his lover visibly force each of his muscles to relax. Yami pushed forward again, and though Kaiba bit his lip, he didn't tense up. The Egyptian let his breath out in a whoosh as the sensations began to hit him in full force. This wasn't just any perfect heat… this was the ultimate feeling: hotter, tighter, and more velvety than he had ever dared to imagine. Every thought in his brain was screaming at him to plunge into that smoldering vice-like grip, but he centered all of his attention of moving slowly.

"Nngh!" Kaiba clapped a hand over his mouth as the pain just grew sharper and sharper. It felt like a molten steel bar was trying to bisect his body in half. He toyed with the idea of asking Yami to stop, but after he'd taken the other man in this fashion so many times without complaint, he couldn't bring himself to admit defeat. If Yami could do it, he could do it.

After what seemed like an eternity, the invasive presence stopped. Kaiba exhaled a breath he hadn't known he was holding and held back a grunt of pain. It was finally over. He opened his eyes and stopped short when they fell on Yami's face.

The Egyptian… looked… _heavenly_.

His eyes were clenched shut so tightly, the skin around them trembled. His mouth was hanging open, and pant after pant escaped from those luscious lips. His arms and legs shook violently, and the muscles in his stomach were so tense they formed a perfect slab of six defined bumps and valleys. Kaiba felt himself salivate at the sight. Yami was a perfect image of barely-contained pleasure and overwhelming need. When the smaller man opened his eyes, they were unfocused and glazed. They were the eyes of a man drowning in exquisite fire. Kaiba lost his breath just by looking at them. The pain between his legs was incredibly insignificant in comparison.

"Kaiba," Yami breathed, "you feel… so _good._" He shuddered, as if just talking were more effort than he could safely expend. "Are you… okay?"

"I'm fine," Kaiba breathed back. "You can move if you want."

Yami shuddered again. He took a deep breath and slowly rolled his hips back. Kaiba was relieved when that solidness between his legs left, but if he could keep that wanton look on Yami's face, he'd gladly endure anything.

_Is that what I look like when I'm fucking him?_ Kaiba wondered. _Maybe that's why he likes it so much…_

Yami thrust his hips forward and moaned with abandon. That endless heat was going to swallow him whole if he let it. He checked his speed constantly, always worried that he was going to lose control and hurt his lover. Kaiba, for the most part, seemed determined to make this experience easy on Yami, which was a truly hilarious notion.

The Egyptian moaned with every move he made, unable to escape from the fire burning in his veins. His wildest fantasies hadn't come close to predicting how good it felt to be buried in his lover. It wasn't just the virgin tightness, or the sexy body beneath him, or any other physical factor… it was also the feelings he had for this man in particular and knowing that he was the only person who would ever touch him this way. All of these things combined into a lust so potent, Yami felt as if he were suffocating in it.

Kaiba could hardly tear his eyes away. The look on his lover's face as he slowly plundered his body was unlike anything he'd ever seen before. Despite the pain between his legs, his erection never flagged, so affected was he by Yami's reaction. Before he knew it, he realized the burning was fading. His body was growing accustomed to this strange experience, and after a while, he even dared to lift his legs and lock them around Yami's waist.

The Egyptian cracked one glazed purple eye open and looked for some kind of signal. Kaiba rolled his hips experimentally forward, and Yami's eyes immediately snapped shut again. A tingling shudder wound down his spine like electric tendrils. The brunet felt his own body shudder as it watched the intense reaction, and he moved his hips again, this time with a little more certainty.

Yami threw his head back and moaned without restraint. "Kaiba… please… can I…?" He was shivering from the effort of holding his body back. All he wanted to do was fuck until he died. He wanted to thrust into his lover again and again and again until he'd wrung every possible ounce of pleasure from every nerve in his body. The need was making him grind his teeth as he struggled to contain it. It was just too good, way too fucking good. He was going to fly apart into a thousand pieces if he didn't do _something._

Kaiba hesitated for only a second, captivated by the raw need in his lover's voice, before relaxing his entire body. "Do it."

Yami didn't hesitate for a second. He set a rough rhythm, groaning as he sank in and out of unfathomable pleasure. Even if Kaiba asked him to, he doubted he could stop, so lost was he in unadulterated sensation.

Kaiba, fortunately, was discovering something strange. Between his partner's obvious enjoyment and the lessening of the initial pain, he was beginning to notice that this really felt like something… else. It wasn't pleasure, exactly, but it was _good_, somehow. The warmth and presence of something inside of him left him feeling fulfilled in some way, complete instead of vulnerable.

As Yami's pace increased, Kaiba felt a moan pushing at the back of his throat. Every movement was making the pain lessen and this other feeling increase. It was a kind of pleasure he'd never experienced before, almost like being tickled on the inside, and the brunet didn't know precisely how to react to it.

Something instinctive took over, and Kaiba shifted his hips up a little.

As soon as he did, his whole world shattered.

Kaiba cried out without even realizing he was doing it. Yami jerked to a stop, a look of complete horror spreading over his face. "Oh God… Kaiba… I'm so sorry."

The brunet didn't say a word; he simply laid there with his mouth hanging partially open in shock. Yami flinched. He must have really hurt him for him to not say anything. He cursed himself for losing control like that. He should have had Kaiba's comfort in the forefront of his mind at all times…

Little did he know, Kaiba was not experiencing anything even remotely close to pain.

A veritable firework had gone off inside his body. His nerves were still singing with a sensation he couldn't begin to identify. It was beyond good. It was the most electric, unimaginable, breath-taking feeling he had ever experienced. It was like a tornado made out of firing neurons, packed into a too-small space in his body that was just ready to explode and spread outward until it swallowed him whole.

After a moment, he came back to his sense and saw Yami staring guiltily at him. More importantly, he noticed that both of their bodies were completely still. It didn't take him long to figure out what had happened.

"Yami-" he began, but the other man cut him off.

"I'm so sorry, sweetheart. Do you want to stop?" Yami started to climb off of him, but Kaiba clenched his legs tightly around his waist.

"Do that again."

Yami's purple eyes widened with shock. "What?"

Kaiba growled and grabbed a fistful of spiky hair, using it to haul the other man up and consequently sink him back into his body. Yami shivered and very nearly came as the full force of the predatory look in his lover's eyes tore through him.

"I said…" Kaiba's voice was rough and powerful, and his eyes glittered threateningly, "Do. That. Again."

Yami didn't need to be told twice. He started the pace again, and Kaiba cautiously lifted his hips as he had before. Immediately, molten metal slid through his veins and began to pool in the pit of his stomach. The pleasure was so fierce it shocked him into silence at first. His eyes clenched shut, and he bit his lip in an effort to contain the raw feeling now coursing through him. Every thrust of Yami's hips made it build and build and build until finally…!

"Ahhh, God, Yami!" Kaiba threw his head back and moaned with utter hunger. It was by far the throatiest, most purely erotic sound Yami had ever heard. With that both men fell into a frenzy of insatiable need. Kaiba moved his hips in time with Yami's thrusts, and Yami forced himself as deeply into his lover's body as he could go. Sweat dripped from their bodies and down their stomachs, slicking the way as they rubbed against each other.

"God, Yami, this feels so good," Kaiba moaned. "Harder. Harder!"

The Egyptian managed to draw enough breath to laugh. "You're the only man I know who can top from the bottom."

"Shut up and fucking _move._"

Their bodies collided in furious tandem, each individual lost in a pleasure so collective they soon forgot where one of them ended and the other began. Their voices mingled in the sweetest harmony, a lament to the rising pressure deep inside them that would soon bring their union to an end.

In the final throes, when their muscles locked together and their fingers sought desperate purchase in each other's flesh, they both cried out with three simple words that they had finally learned to say with all their hearts and souls.

They lay together quietly for what seemed like forever. The sky outside the windows lightened from black to deep purple to gray to pink. Their fingers roamed mindlessly, dipping into crevasses and tracing the bumps of muscles beneath each other's skin.

The alcohol had worn off long ago, but Kaiba still felt drunk. It was moments like these when he felt he could forget all the anger and strife in his past and just concentrate on how complete he felt in this single moment.

"Kaiba," Yami whispered, turning to look at him. His amethyst eyes glittered in the fresh dawn light. "I have to ask, though I'm sure I already know… what did you think?"

The brunet chuckled. "You did your job well. You quite thoroughly showed me why you like to bottom."

The pharaoh's face exploded into an excited smile. "Does that mean… we could… maybe do this again some time?"

"Don't get your hopes up," Kaiba growled. "You took advantage of an intoxicated partner. I'll have to punish you for it later."

"Well, yes," Yami purred, "and I'm certainly looking forward to it, but if you like bottoming…"

Kaiba growled. "It still just seems so… _wrong._"

"I do it all the time."

"Yeah, but if either of us is the woman in this relationship, it's you."

"_I fucking am not, Seto Kaiba."_

"Oh, calm down. You know what I mean."

"I sure as hell do not! I have half a mind to-"

Kaiba silenced the other man with a long, heated kiss. Hard as the Egyptian tried to resist, he felt himself melting under those soft lips and teasing tongue.

"You bastard," he murmured when he finally pulled away.

"If you're lucky," Kaiba murmured back, "maybe I'll give this another shot sometime."

Yami smiled brightly. "Really?"

"Yeah, like next year."

"Son of a fucking-!"

…

…

The End.


	15. Chapter 15

The day has finally arrived. **My original m/m romance novel is available for purchase!**

Please allow me a moment to FREAK THE FUCK OUT BECAUSE OMG I'M AN ACTUAL WRITER.

I'm updating a bunch of my fics so that hopefully everyone who's been asking about it will see this. The e-book version of my novel is now available, and the actual, physical book version will be available shortly. I've had a few International fans inquire about whether or not the book is available to them, and I can confirm that it is. You can get it anywhere in the world!

So, my novel is a contemporary slash romance where a young college student by the name of Nikolas is forced to transfer to a private, Catholic university under mysterious circumstances. Despite his desire to remain innocuous, he quickly gets drawn into a dangerous game of seduction played by the three most popular boys at the school, namely the "king" of the Academy, Seth Prinsen. Sexiness ensues.

**If you would like to read my book, here's a link for where you can find it:**

w w w dot lessthanthreepress dot com

I'm listed under the pen name Quinn Anderson, and the book is obviously called In Excess. It's in their Contemporary section.

Sorry I can't link you straight to the book, but FFN's spam filters have become impossible to get around lately. Anyways, remove the spaces, and that will take you to my book. There is also an un-spaced link to it on my profile, and you can always just google "In Excess Quinn Anderson", and it'll pop up.

One final thing, **I'm thinking of changing my pen name on this site from HieiAijin1410 to Quinn Anderson.** I mean, I picked this name when I was 15, and now I'm about to be 23, and my life is in a completely different place. Plus, now that I'm a professional, I want to go by my professional name. However, I'm worried that if I change it now after so many years, it will confuse the people who know me by that name. What do you guys think?_  
_

**As added incentive for picking up a copy of my book, **if you send me a print screen of your receipt or some other proof of purchase along with a fan fiction idea, I'll write it for you! Obviously this is time-contentious, as I have no idea how many requests I'll get, but that's going to be my way of thanking all of you for supporting my writing career.

Wish me luck!


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